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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27200386">Palpatine the Creation of an Emperor</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaisyK/pseuds/MaisyK'>MaisyK</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 17:33:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>57,458</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27200386</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaisyK/pseuds/MaisyK</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sheev Palpatine, the story behind the most evil Sith Lord in the Star Wars history.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sheev Palpatine/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Star Wars</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Palpatine the Creation of an Emperor</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>PALPATINE<br/>
The Creation of an Emperor</p><p>MOTHER<br/>
Laurem whimpered in her sleep. I have no extra food I can give to soothe the aching emptiness. We must stretch our remaining food to last until we can obtain a new ration card. Unfortunately, a new card won't end my worries. The rations allow us are getting smaller and smaller as the fighters are receiving the bulk of food.<br/>
The bed covers are a mess from Laurem’s tossing and turning, so I rush to straighten them. She barely takes up any space in our small bed. No one looking in on her would guess she was ten seasons old.<br/>
I pushed back as the swell of emotion almost overwhelms me, as I gaze at my daughter’s sleeping face; so sweet and innocent. Her glossy black hair is tangled around her face, one tan arm stretched out in as if in a plea.<br/>
It takes everything I have to turn around and leave the room and not disturb her. I want to sweep her up and hold her like I did when she was a baby. If I wake her, though, being hungry will be more than a bad dream. Tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow. I promise myself. I might not be able to fill her belly, but I can definitely fill her heart.<br/>
Agan had joined the conflict to protect us, but I had rather he had run away with us to some distant galaxy, so far off the star maps we could never be found.<br/>
I wandered around our little home supplied by the Imperial Forces, straightening things already straight and cleaning things already clean. I drop onto my reclining chair and close my eyes. I’m so tired of carrying my burdens alone. Despite my exhaustion, I know sleep will elude me. Memories play unbidden behind my closed lids.<br/>
</p><p>In simpler times...<br/>
Agan’s strong arms wrapped around me from behind. He pulled me close and pressed me against his hard length; his body encircling me with his warmth. He nuzzled his face into my neck, kissing it softly before touching his cheek to mine. I breathed in Agan's scent and wrapped my arms around his, holding him to me. We laughed as Laurem, newly walking, toddled around the rolling green field, chasing her toy drone. A warm gentle breeze tugged at our robes.<br/>
“I received a communique from Zeben today. He’s recommended me for a position in the Imperial Forces as a flight instructor and squadron leader. The post comes with a few perks, one of which will be a home for you and Laurem on Coruscant. The conflict is coming, and we need to relocate, now, before we have to evacuate.”<br/>
I turned in Agan’s embrace, “No! Don’t go. Please. Let’s run away. Far away. There must be somewhere we can hide until the war is over.”<br/>
His dark brown gaze pierced my soul. “You know there’s no such place. The best I can do is make sure you’re safe. Coruscant has the best defensive protection of any planet in the universe, and no one would dare attack the Imperial Senate or the Jedi Temple. I must join. It’s the only way I can keep you safe.”<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
“Lauren! Come! It’s time for bitron practice.”<br/>
I tucked my doll Shmi into our bed, biding my time by adjusting the covers repeatedly. My mind was racing with plausible excuses as I drug my feet over to the bitron. My heart soared when someone knocked on the door. Hopefully a neighbor wanted to visit with Mother. I bounced on my toes and crossed my fingers. Please, please, please.<br/>
Mother backed away, as a man, wearing a brown and white robe with a blood red sash, advanced toward her. She thrust her hand out to halt his progress shouting, “No! No! Go away!”<br/>
The man, obviously uncomfortable,  cleared his throat, “Morda Kalcar, the Imperial Forces regret to inform you Agan Kalcar was killed in the line of duty. The Imperial Senate has awarded this home and survivor benefits for your family. Please accept this medal for his valiant service and ultimate sacrifice. We offer our heartfelt sympathies for your loss.”<br/>
Mother’s fist was clutched to her stomach as her body bowed under the weight of her grief. The man bowed swiftly, placed the documents and medal on the table, and left as quickly as he could.<br/>
</p><p>MOTHER<br/>
The ceaseless procession of mourners was devouring our last bits of food. They had no shame. Some of them I had seen in passing, but I didn't even know their name, yet here they were eating our food and licking their fingers. The senate gave us two weeks of expiration pay. Two weeks! I had to find employment. I swallowed my anger, circulated amongst the shameless, and discovered what I could about jobs on Coruscant.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
"Laurem, I need to talk with Mistress Hahn for a minute. I'll be right back. You can play with Shmi while I am gone."<br/>
"Yes, Mother."<br/>
She kissed me on my forehead, "You're my big girl, now."<br/>
When mother returned a few minutes later, she took my hands, hummed a little tune and spun me into a dance. Then she reached down, picked me up, and spun me around as she threw back her head and laughed.<br/>
She sat me down, "Laurem, I need your help."<br/>
"With what?"<br/>
"We need to pack. Can you help me?"<br/>
"Yes. Why are we packing?"<br/>
"We are going to live with a family. You and I will help them keep their house in order, and they will give us food,  clothing and a place to stay. How does that sound?"<br/>
I crossed my arms over my chest, "I don't want to move. I like it here."<br/>
"I do, too. But that doesn't mean I won't like it there, too," Mother reasoned.<br/>
She opened a cupboard and pulled out two well-used leather packs. She handed me the smaller one, "I will help you pick out some of the things you'll need. I wouldn't put Shmi in there, Laurem. You can carry her." Mother suggested when I immediately placed Shmi in my bag. I nodded and laid her gently on the bed.<br/>
Mother and I searched through our drawers for the best items to bring. Mother made a game of packing. She would say look for this, then time how long it would take me to find it. She would cheer, "Good job!" when I found it quickly. But if I didn't find it right away, then she would give me hints until I found it.<br/>
When we finished packing, she told me to go to bed. I could still hear her moving around for hours afterwards as she prepped the house systems for shut down.<br/>
Morning came before I was ready for it. I dressed with my eyes closed, trying to get a few more minutes of precious sleep. Mother brushed my hair until it was shiny and smooth, rolling the long lengths into a pika for the first time. It was heavy and itchy, but she praised my appearance and told me it was very elegant. She shut off the alternator and powered down the rest of the systems. The house became utterly still and silent, the sound of our every movement amplified by the quiet. She handed me my pack, "Ready?" I nodded and we left the only home I had ever known.<br/>
We walked hand in hand for a long way, stopping only once to put down our heavy packs to rest. Mother finally slowed, checked the locator she held in her hand when it began to buzz. We had arrived at our destination.<br/>
My eyes went wide as I took in the massive building. It was oddly shaped with angled sections which jutted out haphazardly, and sparsely set windows placed with no uniformity in size or position. Wide stone steps lead up to a set of carved gray stone doors twice as tall as the home we just left. There was something about the home that caused a shiver to ripple down my spine.<br/>
Mother clutched my hand tightly and together we marched up the stone staircase. She took a deep breath, smoothed her robes, then pulled a thick, red tasseled rope. We took a step back, and waited.<br/>
I jumped a little at the loud metallic clunking sound and watched in awe as one massive stone door slowly creaked open. A man silently greeted us. He was massive and intimidating. His spotless white robes emphasized his pale green skin and shock of black hair. His eyes were the same tint of green, but they glowed. They actually glowed!<br/>
He pointed to himself with hands the size of serving platters and in a deep, booming voice said, “Latch.” He waved for us to follow him, my mother nodded and shifted the heavy pack on her shoulder. Latch reached back and plucked our heavy packs from our shoulders, carrying them with only two fingers, as if they weighted nothing.<br/>
The weight gone from my shoulders, curiosity, took its place. As I took in my surroundings, I discovered I was right about it being dark and gloomy inside. The furnishings and design were stark and sharp, just like the exterior. Every surface my eyes touched on was in varying shades of the color gray; the walls, the floors, even most of the furniture.<br/>
The floors had been polished to a mirror finish. Our reflections followed us, our clothing clean and pressed, but made shabby by the rich surroundings. Our footsteps echoed off the dull walls. The empty sound caused another shiver to run down my spine.<br/>
People, of all shapes and sizes, dressed in same white robes as Latch, were bustling about. No one greeted us, but I did see one or two curious side glances. Latch led us through a set of tall doors to a cavernous maw of a room.
“Conference,” he barked, and gestured toward a well-dressed couple seated on two throne-like gray stone chairs placed on a dais. We were silently scrutinized as we made our way before them. They sat erect, heads held high, and peered down at us with little expression.<br/>
The man was wearing light brown robes edged with shiny gold. His face was painted the same brown as his robes, so it made his white hair and ice chip blue eyes stand out in sharp contrast. His hair was thick and stood up with a wave, as if it had been caught in a slight breeze and frozen on top of his head. He had a dimple in his chin which creased when a wide welcoming smile appeared on his face, His eyes, though, had a vacant expression and his hands twitched and stilled nervously in his lap.<br/>
The woman’s face was painted almost completely white with small dots of red on either cheek, and orange and blue dots around her eyes. Jet black hair had been pulled and twisted into an impossible shape on her head, and curled around a heavy rich pika covered with jewels. Her robes were the only real color in the room, in red, orange and blue to match her painted cheeks and eyes.<br/>
My mother, eager to make a good impression, bent towards me, tugging on my hand to get my attention, whispered, “Laurem, stand tall, be quiet, but speak politely if spoken to.” I nodded obediently, wrapping my suddenly sweaty hands tightly around Shmi.<br/>
My mother spoke with the woman, but I did not closely follow their conversation, nor did I allow myself to stare too long at the couple. Instead, I let my eyes wander around the room, although there was not much to see, so I was instantly bored. Mother and the woman concluded their brief exchange their mutual satisfaction.<br/>
I was surprised when the woman addressed me, “Laurem, I am to be called Mistress. He is to be addressed as Master. Do you understand?”<br/>
I nodded.<br/>
“What are you holding there?"<br/>
“This is my doll, Shmi, Mistress.”<br/>
“Charming."<br/>
Mistress called for Latch and instructed us to follow him. He took us on a brief tour of the home, blurting out one-word names like “kitchen”, “office”, and “room”.<br/>
We then returned to the kitchen, where we were treated to a steaming bowl of soup and a fana, deliciously fresh and soft. Mother began to eat, so I relaxed and ate as well. The soup was delicious and filling. I dipped the fana into my bowl, again and again, to soak up every drop. Latch returned to lead us to our very own room, with a table, dresser, chairs and a bed. He nodded silently to my mother and ambled away.<br/>
"Well, we're home. Shall we put our things away?"
I opened the top dresser drawer, "Look, Mother!" I discovered two sets of white robes, sized for an adult and a child. I unfolded the child sized robes and held them up to me.<br/>
"They're too big!" I declared.<br/>
"We can roll up the sleeves and blouson the top over your belt. We will see if they have smaller size tomorrow." She smiled, "I think we are ready for work!"
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
Time passed quickly. I turned eleven seasons soon after we arrived at the Gray Place. The cook, a plump woman named Katen, gave me my very first season day treat; a light sweet dough that melted on my tongue. My mother and I nibbled on it for three days, to make it last.<br/>
I was old enough now to be assigned my own duties, so was placed with Katen in the kitchen. I would do my chores in the morning, then take lessons with the other children in the afternoon. Mother was to report to the head housekeeper, Pacia, and was immediately assigned to multiple duties, working all hours of the day and night.<br/>
Polishing, my favorite task, was completed every other week and was assigned solely for me to do. The utensils were valuable, so they were counted before, and after polishing. The other workers avoided the massive dining room for fear of being accused of thievery. I liked the quiet their absence afforded and loved the obvious results of my efforts as I laid down each freshly burnished piece.
I caught a flutter of motion out of the corner of my eye, and noticed a boy was watching me. He was tall and thin, but was not dressed as a worker. He had wavy blonde hair, and bright blue eyes. He started, and hurried quickly away when he caught me returning his stare. I continued with my task, but glanced several times where I noticed the boy in case he returned.
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
I was left at loose ends. My professor had returned to Naboo for a brief visit with his family, so I was free from lessons. I decided to keep on the move to actively avoid running into my parents. I was in no mood today for either a lecture or a beating.<br/>
I stopped in my tracks when I saw her. She was another worker in white, but there was something about her. It was almost as if she glowed. My eyes were irresistibly drawn to her and I couldn’t look away. She was incredibly small, but had to be older than she looked to be tasked with the polishing. A thick black braid fell over her shoulder and swung with her movements. I started when I met her brown eyes boring into mine. I moved away as quickly as possible, but my thoughts kept returning to the girl that glowed.<br/>
</p><p>
LAUREM<br/>
I wandered amongst the guests with a platter of food that smelled so wonderful, my mouth was watering. I didn't have time to eat after lessons, and my stomach was protesting loudly. I couldn't wait to sneak from food when I went to replenish the tray.<br/>
I was distracted from my hunger, when I was abruptly bumped from behind, causing the tray to teeter dangerously close to tipping. I grumbled to myself; could they not see me standing here? How rude. The offender even continued to brush against my arm when he moved past. Who...I was stunned when I found myself staring into a pair of bright blue eyes.<br/>
It was the boy from the dining room! And he was dressed in rich, sapphire blue robes and walking alongside Master Palpatine. Master had a hand resting on the boy's shoulder as he presented him to some of his fellow senators. I deliberately moved closer to listen to their conversation. He introduced the boy as his son, Master Sheev Palpatine. The Palpatines had a child!<br/>
The boy, Sheev, turned to give me a sly side smile and moved on to speak with some more guests. He chatted easily with them, and many of the guests seemed to seek out his company, despite his young age. Curious, my eyes followed the boy as he moved through the crowd. He caught me watching him several times. I chastised myself for being so obvious in my interest. I ran my empty tray back to the kitchen, and when I returned, the boy was gone.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
I asked some of the  workers about Sheev Palpatine and found he was certainly not popular amongst them. They accused him of all sorts of things, from purposefully making messes they had to clean, to some even claiming he made them drop or break things. One worker even went so far as to accuse him of being cursed, or just plain evil.<br/>
"Mother, have you heard any of the stories about Sheev Palpatine?"<br/>
"Yes, Laurem, I have. Pay no attention to those stories. They're nonsense."<br/>
"Do you know anything about him? I wonder how old he is."<br/>
"I don't know. We probably won't even see him very much. I must go back to work now," Mother said when she kissed my cheek, "I won't be home until much later tonight. Enjoy your class today!"<br/>
With Mother gone for most of the evenings, I had plenty of time to devote to my studies. I had been two seasons behind when I began, but had since caught up and surpassed my classmates. The professors had decided to advance me, and Mother was very proud of my progress. I had not made any friends in my current classes as I was much older than them. The other children my age were mean to me because I started classes with the younger children, and not with them. I would be in class with those who had taunted me for the first time today. But first I was being tested by Katen.<br/>
Katen had decided, since her daughter was in confinement and would soon deliver, she wanted to spend some time with her daughter and the new baby. She didn’t have anyone to fill the lead position in her absence, and wanted to recommend me for the job. If I passed her test, then I would be the youngest lead they ever had, so it would be quite a compliment to me.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
Katen gently blew to cool the soup before taking the first bite. She looked pensively towards the ceiling as she ran the flavors over her tongue. She glanced at me, before spooning up another mouthful, which she treated to the same thoughtful review. She pushed the bowl back and carefully placed the spoon on the table.<br/>
"Laurem, I don't know how you did it, but that is the best cannib soup I have ever tasted."<br/>
I clapped my hands together, beaming, "Thank you! Oh, I am so glad that you liked it."<br/>
"I'm glad, too. I want to spend the afternoon with Sasha. If you do just like today, then I will have no worries."<br/>
"I will try my best."<br/>
"Don't forget the cleanup! Don't put it off until later because then the dinner meal will be late. We have to adhere to the schedule."<br/>
Yes, Katen."<br/>
"Clean up now and then go to your lessons."<br/>
"Yes, Katen."<br/>
The cleanup took longer than I had expected, so I had to rush to lessons. The muscles in my legs were burning as I walked frantically to my new classroom. My first day and I was going to be late.<br/>
I turned the corner and nearly plowed into Sheev Palpatine. He had been casually leaning against the wall, but when he saw me, he pushed away from the wall and fell into step beside me, his long legs easily matching my hectic stride. He was incredibly handsome with his soft blonde hair, much like Mother’s, and bright blue gaze. He was tall, much taller than me, but then again, who wasn’t, I considered irritably.<br/>
“Hi. What’s your name?” His voice was soft, but with a warm timbre, causing a flutter in my stomach.<br/>
“Laurem Kalcar.” I mentally rolled my eyes at how breathless I sounded. “What’s your name?”<br/>
“You don’t know?” He was incredulous; his tone tinged with a touch of arrogance.<br/>
“Well, I might know, but most polite people exchange names when they meet.”<br/>
“In that case, Iam Sheev Palpatine,” he replied with a surprised laugh. “I am pleased to make your acquaintance. And, if you haven’t already heard it from Mistress, I am going to rule the universe one day.”<br/>
“Well, good for you! It’s a pleasure to meet you, too. How many seasons are you, and when are you expected to accomplish this feat?”<br/>
A wide smile lit up his face, “I’m thirteen seasons. I should take control of the universe any day now. How many seasons are you?”<br/>
“I am nearly twelve seasons,” I lied, wanting to be older.<br/>
“Impossible! You can’t be twelve seasons. You’re too small!”<br/>
“Alright, you caught me! I am a half portion away from twelve seasons. Besides, if age was a size, then Latch would be a million years old.”<br/>
“True!”<br/>
“I’m on my way to lessons,” I explained even though it was obvious.<br/>
“Yes, I have to go to mine as well.”<br/>
“Yes, well, unfortunately, I’m late. I would like to stay and talk, but I really have to hurry to class.”<br/>
“Wait,” he said. He put a hand on my arm to stop me from walking. He looked down at his hand and then released my arm as if embarrassed to have touched me. His blonde hair fell forward onto his forehead, slightly obscuring his face. I couldn’t help but focus on the soft strands, so light each strand looked to be lit from within. Oddly, my entire body began to flush and become uncomfortably warm.<br/>
“Yes?”<br/>
“Would you really? I mean, would you like to stay and talk?”<br/>
“Yes. I would. Perhaps another time?”<br/>
I was strangely drawn to this boy. If circumstances had been different, I would have skipped the lessons to talk with him some more, but I was expected to report to my new classroom today.<br/>
“Yes, I’d like that. Laurem, I think we should be friends.” He held out his hand and I didn’t hesitate to place mine in his. His large hand wrapped around my smaller one, engulfing it with his warmth, and a current flowed through my body, making me feel oddly content. I had made my first real friend. Mother was right. The others must be jealous because I found him to be perfectly polite and kind.<br/>
“Friends,” I responded with a smile.<br/>
</p><p>MOTHER<br/>
I was surprised to find Laurem awake and waiting for me. Most nights, she was curled up and sleeping soundly, but tonight, she was sitting on her heels, dressed and ready for bed. A wide, sleepy smile bloomed on her face as she greeted me, and I could tell she had been struggling to stay awake. I was shocked when I realized her cheeks were losing their baby fullness. My little girl was growing up, and I had almost missed it.<br/>
She crawled on her knees to the side of the bed closest to me and sank back onto her heels, “How was your work today, Mother? Did you have a good day?”<br/>
I was so happy she had waited up for me! I couldn’t remember the last time we had shared a meal, or spent time together in the evening. I drank in the vision she made; her face alight with excitement.<br/>
“I had a good day, Laurem. How was your day?”<br/>
“I had a good day as well, Mother. I made a friend!”<br/>
“You did? How wonderful!” I knew she started in her new classroom today and wondered who it might be. “What’s her name?”<br/>
“You mean his name. Sheev Palpatine. He’s perfectly charming!” She held her hands clasped to her heart with a beatific smile on her face.<br/>
She had asked me about rumors concerning him and I told her not to give credence to gossip, but I thought it had been merely curiosity about the family we work for. I didn’t think she was going to actually befriend him.<br/>
“Isn’t he a great deal older than you,?”<br/>
“No. He’s only two seasons older than me. He’s tall for his age. And of course, I am still incredibly short for mine!” She added with a roll of her eyes.<br/>
I shook my head and smiled. Laurem was so dismayed she was not growing like she wanted. “Hmmm. I guess he is. Are his parents OK with your friendship?”<br/>
Laurem shrugged, “I have no idea. They weren’t there, and I am not sure if he asked them. Are you OK with my new friend?”<br/>
I hesitated to respond. I doubted the Palpatines would be pleased if they discovered their son was developing a friendship with the help. Wild rumors aside, he was mostly ignored by his parents and usually left to his own devices. The only time he was in their company, it was at a party, and he was being paraded around to perform for their guests.<br/>
Laurem was a well behaved child. She would be a good influence and stop him from being mean to the workers, if indeed he had been. A relationship with a servant might open his eyes to his position in the household, and make him more empathetic to those that worked for him. If he did decide to become a senator like his parents, then wouldn’t it make him a better person? Wouldn’t it make him more understanding of others and their struggles in life? Besides, they were just children, what harm could come from this relationship?<br/>
“You have my permission, Laurem, but keep in mind his parents might not want you to be friends.”<br/>
“Yes,Mother, she agreed. “Mother, some men were talking in the kitchen today. What does it mean to be a white worker? Are we slaves?”<br/>
“What?"<br/>
“Yes. Three men came into the kitchen because they missed their midday meal. They sat and ate where you and I did on our first day, do you remember?”<br/>
I nodded.<br/>
“they said we were slave labor. Katen didn’t like them and asked them to leave as soon as they were finished,” Laurem paused, “So what is a slave?”<br/>
“Slaves are people that are bought and sold for work. They have no rights, no wages, and no freedom. We don't work here for wages, but we do work for food and a place to live. It would be difficult for us if we did leave, but we have the freedom to do so if we wanted to. No one who works here is a slave. Those men were wrong to say those things.”<br/>
I fluffed Laurem’s pillow and tented the covers for her to crawl under. She snuggled under the blankets. “In you go,” I said as I pulled the covers under her chin. “We have a busy day tomorrow.” Laurem nodded and yawned.<br/>
“I’m tired, too. I will get ready for bed and join you in a few minutes.” 
Laurem yawned again, “Good night, Mother. Love you.”<br/>
I leaned over and kissed her forehead, “Good night, Laurem. Love you more."<br/>
</p><p>
SHEEV<br/>
I couldn’t stop thinking about Laurem. I had never had a friend before. Ever. I couldn’t wait to talk with her again. I had the strangest sensation when I shook her hand. It was as if her warmth poured into me, and I was oddly content.<br/>
Mistress and Master would never approve of Laurem. Mistress was class conscious because she had never completely washed the stench of poverty from her skin. Too bad. That was her hang up, not mine.<br/>
I was going to see Laurem again and they couldn't stop me. 
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
I threw the covers back and sprang out of bed. Today was my season day!<br/>
I dressed quickly and went to the mirror to pin up my hair. I eyed myself critically in the mirror, turning from side to side. My shoulders drooped and I let out a heartfelt sigh. I looked exactly the same as I did when we arrived at the Gray Place, which was almost two seasons ago. My chest was depressingly flat, and I hadn't grown an inch. Sheev teased me about my height all of the time. I swear if he said anything to me about it today, then I would punch him.<br/>
Mother had gotten up bright and early for work this morning. She kissed me on the forehead and wished me a Happy Season day and left. I wondered if she had any surprises planned for me later.<br/>
Katen gave me my assignment for the day. Thankfully, it wasn’t cleaning cannibs, my most hated chore. She had me cleaning pots instead; the second most hated chore. I was up to my elbows in a cleaning solution when a hand squeezed my shoulder. Sheev had finally come to visit me.<br/>
“Happy Season Day!”<br/>
Katen’s head whipped in my direction, “I didn’t know it was your season day, Laurem! Happy Season Day!”<br/>
“Thank you. Both of you.” I nodded to Sheev, “I have one pot left, and then I will be done.”<br/>
“You shouldn’t have to work today.”<br/>
“Why not? Everyone else does.”<br/>
I brushed the hair out of my eyes before attacking the pan again with the laser scrubber. I was in a hurry to be done, now that Sheev was here.<br/>
“There! All clean!” I said, throwing the scrubber carelessly down into the sink. I ran a solution to rinse both the pot and my hands.<br/>
Sheev started to pull me away, but I admonished, “Wait, I have to dry my hands.”<br/>
“Hurry up, will you?” he said, bouncing on his toes.<br/>
He started pulling me away by my elbow, informing Katen over his shoulder, “I’ll have her back soon!”  Katen didn’t even raise her head. She just waved her hand in dismissal.<br/>
“I just got here a little while ago. I don’t want to get in trouble.”<br/>
“You saw Katen. She doesn’t care. Come quietly,” he warned in a low voice, “or I will carry you. I bet I could carry you around all day and not even break a sweat. Besides, resistance is useless.”<br/>
I figured if we hurried, Sheev could show me whatever it was he wanted to show me, then I would run back to finish my chores before lessons. Ugh! Lessons! If anything, I wanted a season day break from those.<br/>
Sheev grabbed my hand and towed me through his home. We ended up standing before a clear vertical tube that went through the ceiling above. Sheev pressed a button and the tube silently slid open. He pulled me in, and we pressed together.<br/>
“This is an entrance for workers to use when we have parties, but I don’t think anyone actually uses it.” He made a face, “It’s supposed to take people one at a time, but you’re so small I thought we could both fit. Hold on. This is tighter than I thought it would be.”<br/>
Sheev put his arms around me and squeezed us even tightly together, pressed a button, and with a whoosh, the floor of the tube propelled us upwards at an incredible speed.<br/>
I stumbled out as soon as it stopped, clutching my stomach. “I bet I can guess why it isn’t used.”<br/>
We had emerged in the middle of a multi-floored rooftop garden. Who would have guessed so much color and greenery existed on the top of this ugly gray building?<br/>
“Sheev, this is amazing,” I gasped.<br/>
There were three levels accessed by what appeared to be floating staircases. I scampered up the first flight of stairs to the uppermost level. An open green field, with clusters of low stone chairs scattered in groupings, invited visitors to sit down and relax. A hologram of a clear sky was projected above. Sheev moved to a panel to demonstrate how the projection could be changed to either day or night. He informed me the projection could even be turned off to see the actual sky overhead, but it was done only for fireworks displays or eclipses. The actual sky, was a mass of traffic and often gray, so the hologram was usually kept on.<br/>
I spun around and grabbed Sheev’s hand, “Come on!”<br/>
We clambered down the steps to the next level. It was like walking into a green rainforest, complete with a waterfall and pond. Patches of mist swirled around my legs, and my feet made squishing noises as I walked.<br/>
Before I could explore more, Sheev grasped my hand, “You will like the next level better.”<br/>
The lowest level, which contained plants of every possible genus and species, bloomed in a dizzying array of color and scents. Bright hologram creatures fluttered and flew about the flowers, occasionally appearing to sip at the small brook which bubbled happily through the garden. I closed my eyes and breathed deep, filling my lungs with the heady perfume. I scanned the entire area and tried to commit every flower and creature to memory, so I could tell Mother all about this enchanted place.<br/>
Sheev kicked shyly at the ground, smiling with pleasure at my reaction. He squeezed my hand, and gave it a tug, “Come on. I promise we’ll come back another day. I have more to show you.” He pulled me away from the garden, “I want to show you my rooms.”<br/>
We took a floating staircase down one more level. "This is the main living level," Sheev explained.<br/>
Sheev placed his hands on a wall reader and a hidden door slid noiselessly to the side and we entered a foyer.<br/>
He held his arms out wide in a gesture of welcome, “My rooms are entirely separate from Master’s and Mistress’s. I can lock them out if I want. This, this is all mine. What do you think?”<br/>
I could tell he thought I would be impressed, but after the beauty and warmth of the flower garden, the drab gray and white furnishings were depressing and the empty luxury was glaring. He had more space than one boy should need; a room for lessons, a room for sitting, a room for sleeping, even a room for eating, all to himself.<br/>
“You are one of five people that I’ve allowed into my space. Master, Mistress, Professor, my housekeeper and you.”<br/>
I bowed deeply, “I’m honored, Master Sheev.”
“Enough of that! Come with me.”
He gestured for me to follow him into his sleeping chamber. He had a massive curtained bed that was easily as big as the entire room I shared with mother. I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself as I imagined Latch trying to sleep in our little bed. if I could gather up the courage, maybe I could ask Latch if he had a bigger bed than the other workers.<br/>
“What are you smiling about?” Sheev asked.<br/>
“I was thinking about how big your bed is and wondering if Latch had one as big as you, or if he had to sleep in one the same size as my mother and I share. If it was the same size as mine, then he would fall out every time he rolled over,” I laughed, but Sheev didn’t join in.<br/>
“Is your bed small?”<br/>
“It fits mother and I well enough,” I shrugged.<br/>
Sheev just nodded and I continued to look around. Watery gray light filtered in from one of the homes rare windows. I didn’t understand why, but I felt sorry for him. I threw my arms around his waist and hugged him. Sheev stood still for second, then grasped my shoulders and pushed me away.<br/>
Why did I do that? now he probably thinks I am weird, and he won't want to be my friend anymore.<br/>
SHEEV<br/>
Why did I push her away? She only tried to hug me. I am such an idiot! Her room is probably small and not nearly as nice as mine, and she was sad about it.<br/>
“Come on, follow me,” I demanded and waved for her to join me by the window. I flopped down on a heavy floor cushion. “Please, have a seat,” I pointed to a cushion across from me. She sat down carefully, crossing her legs in front of her and facing me with her hands on her knees.<br/>
“Now, close your eyes and hold out your hand."  Laurem dutifully she closed her eyes and held out both hands. She was trying hard not to smile.<br/>
I placed a treat in her palm, “OK. Open your eyes.” When Laurem opened her eyes, a look of delight passed over her face.<br/>
“Oh! My favorite! Thank you!” Laurem responded excitedly, sinking her teeth into the soft dough. I reached behind me to where I had hidden the pilfered plate piled high with treats. I sat the plate between us, biting enthusiastically into my own.<br/>
“Mine, too. I could eat them until I explode,” I laughed.<br/>
“Umm. Let’s not. Your housekeeper wouldn't appreciate the mess."<br/>
We fell into an enthusiastic conversation about treats. Laurem was the easiest person in the universe to talk to. I told her outrageous stories just to hear her laugh. For the first time in my life, I had someone who listened to me. She didn’t judge me on what I said, or how I said it. She didn’t want anything from me. She didn’t expect anything from me. I could just be me.<br/>
Laurem finished her sweet, delicately licking the sweet stickiness off her fingers. I pointed to the plate, “Have another one if you like. Have them all if you want. Well, except for this one,” I said as I snatched up another one and took a big bite.<br/>
Laurem shook her head, but I caught her glancing back at the plate, swallowing noticeably. She was tempted, but for some reason resolved not to take another.<br/>
“You can have another if you want,” I urged, “Go ahead.”<br/>
“I can’t,” Laurem replied, “or should I say it would be better if I didn’t.”<br/>
“Are you worried you will get fat?” I teased.<br/>
“Yes. No. Well, not exactly. Before we came here, Mother and I were hungry all of the time. It was a feeling I won’t ever forget. I’m afraid…I’m afraid if I get too used to eating what I want, whenever I want, and if for some reason, I didn’t have access to food again, then it would be unbearable. I don’t think I could handle being hungry again. It is easier to limit myself, then to have it taken away. Does that sound dumb?” She peered longingly at the plate, but pressed her lips together and with a mature resolve turned her gaze to me.<br/>
“Why would you go hungry? Did someone threaten to take food away from you?” I clenched my hands into fists, ready to battle the bully who was taking her food.<br/>
“No. It is nothing like that. We have plenty of food here.”<br/>
I stared hard at Laurem, “Are you leaving?”<br/>
“No."<br/>
"Then what?"<br/>
"I worry if I don't do a good enough job, they might tell Mother and I to leave."<br/>
"I wouldn't allow it! Besides, you are still young. You will improve as you grow."
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
He was always so kind to me. Impulsively, I hopped up, threw my arms around him and gave him another hug and sticky kiss on the cheek, “Thank you! That was the best season day surprise ever!”<br/>
He was embarrassed, but pleased. I sat back on my cushion and was about to suggest I go back to the kitchen, when he said in a rush, “I have a secret.”<br/>
“What’s a secret?”<br/>
“Something if I tell you, you can never tell anyone else.”<br/>
I thought about it for a moment, “Not even Mother?”<br/>
“It will be something you know, and I know. Just the two of us. No one else.”<br/>
“OK. I promise not to tell anyone your secret.”<br/>
“OUR secret,” Sheev replied, “only you and I will know.” I nodded.<br/>
He sat cross legged on his cushion, both hands cupped together in front of him. He held his hands together as if he had captured something, and once he separated his hands, that something would fly out. He was concentrating intently, his expression fierce, his focus solely on his cupped hands. My gaze bounded from his face, which had contorted into anger, to his shaking hands, the fingers now looking like curved claws. This was his secret?<br/>
He slowly began to pull his hands apart, fingers curled towards each other. I watched mesmerized as fleeting blue streaks of light danced from fingertip to fingertip, appearing and reappearing at random. His breath whooshed out and he dropped his hands. Beads of sweat had formed on his forehead and upper lip that he dashed away with the sleeve of his robe .<br/>
“How did you do that? Teach me!”<br/>
“It is just something that happened one day. I was extremely angry with Mistress and it came out of my fingers,” he explained. “I had to hide my hands behind my back to keep her from seeing.”<br/>
“Why don’t you call her mother?”<br/>
“She doesn’t want me to.”<br/>
“Why not?”<br/>
“She just doesn’t! OK? She just doesn’t.” Something in the tone of his voice told me to stop asking questions. I shrugged and shoved his shoulder, “OK. Now show me how you did it.”<br/>
He smiled, grateful for the change of subject. "I think of something that makes me mad. I mean really, really angry, and it just happens."<br/>
I tried and tried, but I could never get the blue light to come out of my fingers. He laughed at my repeated attempts, but I didn’t mind, because he had forgotten about his mother and was happy again. It was hard to be furious when he kept making me laugh.<br/>
We both jumped when a voice close to us asked, “Well, what have we here?”<br/>
We shot to our feet. Mistress was standing looking from Sheev to me. My face fell. I should have gone back to the kitchen, but I was having so much fun with Sheev, I had forgotten. My heart sank. I couldn’t look at Mistress for fear of seeing her displeasure, so I focused solely on my feet.<br/>
“What is your name little girl?” Mistress demanded.<br/>
“I’m Laurem Kalcar, Mistress.”<br/>
“Well, Laurem Kalcar, are you here entertaining Master Palpatine?”<br/>
“Yes, Mistress.”<br/>
“Hmm…should you be here entertaining Master Palpatine?”<br/>
I was about to answer her when Sheev spoke up, “Mistress, Laurem is my friend and it’s her season day. She is here because I invited her.”<br/>
I shot a quick disbelieving look at Sheev. What was he doing?<br/>
“You," Mistress sputtered, "You invited a white worker to your quarters?” Without taking her narrowed gaze off of Sheev, told me, “You may go back to your duties. Now.”<br/>
“Yes, Mistress.”<br/>
“Mistress…” Sheev began, but I stopped him with a look. I moved so quickly back to the kitchen; my feet didn't even touch the ground. I immediately reported back to Katen for instructions on what I should begin next. I had no doubt, based on the look on Mistress’s face, her dismissal wouldn’t be the end of it. I was left waiting, and wondering, when my punishment would begin.<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
“I would not think you would need to be told you are not to consort with workers. As a future Senator, you must learn to represent the masses, not befriend them,” Mistress spat.<br/>
Lecture or beating? Which one was coming? I sighed loudly. If a lecture, a retort would only prolong it. I wanted her out of here, but I wanted her to leave Laurem alone. Mistress continued, so it was to be a lecture today.<br/>
“Why do you think I worked so hard to achieve so much? Being a servant is easy. You just do as your told,” Mistress glanced at the door, “well, most of the time.”<br/>
“What if I were to be your servant?”<br/>
“I’m listening.”<br/>
I liked Laurem. I enjoyed her company. She was more than just a servant to me and I wasn’t going to let my manipulative mother have her way. Not this time.<br/>
“You need information. I can get it for you. In exchange, Laurem will be excused from her duties four times a week to be my companion.”<br/>
Mistress never wanted me to be happy. She thought happy people were complacent, and leaders should never be complacent.<br/>
She laughed a little and walked towards the window to look out. She spoke to me without turning around, “So, why have you befriended this particular white worker?”<br/>
I shrugged, then realized she couldn’t see, so added, “She is incredibly naive. It’s amusing for me.”<br/>
Mistress turned and smiled, although it was no more than a baring of teeth. “Well, I suppose we could try it, but for three days, not for four. She is a worker after all. And you had better hold up your end of the bargain. Vital information.”<br/>
I nodded, trying to appear nonchalant while inside I was jubilant.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
Sheev met me in the kitchen the day after he struck the deal with his mother. I was disgusted he would have to spy for his mother.<br/>
Over time, Sheev collected information at the Palpatine soirees, while I continued to work, occasionally as a server, but mostly prepping trays or cleaning dishes in the kitchen. I couldn't help but worry the fragile truce with his mother could be broken at any time, so savored every minute we were able to be together.<br/>
Sheev impatiently pulled on my sleeve, "Are you done yet?"<br/>
"Just about." I finished cleaning the counter from our lunch rush and blew a strand of hair out of my eyes. I was relieved to finally put away the last of the utensils.<br/>
We made our way out to the stables to pet the fathiers. The weather was fine, although gray and overcast. I lifted my face to the sky and enjoyed the warm breeze that played over my skin.<br/>
"Mistress gave me a special assignment for the Luna-Geminus double eclipse. The party is going to be huge! It will be the biggest, and best, viewing party on the planet! The  Senate is going to vote for senate committee leaders and Mistress wants to be added to the list of nominees. I'm expected to make sure their names are added to the list by the end of the evening.<br/>
"How are you going to do that?" The things Mistress expected Sheev to accomplish were becoming increasingly more difficult.<br/>
Sheev shrugged, "I think it will be easy. I just have to get to a man named Roirck."<br/>
</p><p>MOTHER<br/>
Pacia inclined her head. I responded with a slight nod.<br/>
“You!” Pacia shouted at me, “my office, right now!” She brushed past me and marched angrily down the hallway; her head held high. I played my part and rushed meekly behind her with my head down. The other workers, witnessing what they assumed was yet another time I was being reprimanded, shook their heads and muttered angrily. I hated the farce, but it was necessary. Pacia needed to maintain a reputation of supervising with an iron fist to appease Mistress.<br/>
When I first arrived, the other workers described Pacia as a vicious taskmaster of a boss. They took glee in informing me she had seen her entire family disintegrated right in front of her eyes; which turned out to be true. When I met her, she was wounded, and in desperate need of a friend. The war had taken too much from both of us.<br/>
Pacia directed me inside her office with an angry flourish, "Sit!"<br/>
Once inside, Pacia sank down heavily on her office chair. I sat down, pulled off my shoes, and began rubbing my overtired arches, almost crying with relief for finally being able to sit, if only for a minute.<br/>
"I for one, will be so glad when this eclipse is over! I am exhausted. Honestly Pacia, I could live the rest of my life on a fraction of what they're spending on imported food, and what I wouldn't give to have the money they're spending to construct the viewing platforms. And they're putting them up for one night! Wouldn’t it be easier, and cheaper, to bribe senators directly ?”<br/>
“Morda, Mistress came to me with specific instructions for the wait staff. I gather you heard Senator Roirck is attending as their special guest."<br/>
"Trust me, Pacia, no one could have missed Mistress saying a thousand times he was to receive the utmost of care and attention."<br/>
“Well, If something I overheard is true," Pacia continued, "then I think Laurem might be in danger.”<br/>
My administrations to my foot were forgotten.  “What are you talking about?”<br/>
“Laurem is the only young girl working as a server.”<br/>
“So. How does that put her in danger?”<br/>
“Well, Roirck likes young girls. As a matter of fact, he loves them to death. Not only do the girls disappear, but also any witnesses.”<br/>
“Oh.”<br/>
“Yes. Oh. Mistress wants you to work in the kitchen to help Katen. Why you in the kitchen and Laurem as the runner between guests? You would be the more natural runner as Laurem works in the kitchen, and is better trained to be there. Mistress wants you out of the way, and with the other workers busy with their duties, it would be easy for Roirck to get to Laurem. She's being offered as a sacrifice.”<br/>
“Why would she do that? To get her name added to the stupid list.” I answered my own question, incredulous. “How did you hear this?”<br/>
“I overheard Master talking to himself. He's not his usual self, if you understand my meaning. Mistress has been supplying him again. He was out of his mind and jabbering out loud about things I'm sure Mistress didn’t want anyone to hear. Mistress doesn’t want Laurem and Sheev to be friends. She has plans for that boy. Big plans. This would remove Laurem from Sheev, and make Roirck happy enough to put them on the list.”<br/>
“That bitch,” I sat back stunned. Mistress Palpatine was pure evil. “What should I do? I can't let that man get to Laurem. Should we leave?”<br/>
"I think you should talk to Sheev."<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
I drug my feet down the hallway. Professor would give me one of his disapproving glares when I strolled in late, but he would never dare say anything to me, or to Mistress. He didn’t want Mistress to think he wasn’t capable of controlling his one student. He was certain she would relieve him of his position, and he was correct in his assumption. She would send him back on the first public transport to Naboo, lecture me for being difficult, and then search for another boring professor willing to take his place.<br/>
“Sheev Palpatine!”<br/>
A door, a few meters away, slid open slightly to reveal Morda Kalcar, covertly gesturing for me to step inside a small employee conference room. The room was dimly lit with a small table and two uncomfortable looking chairs, one of which Morda quietly gestured for me to occupy. She perched anxiously on the edge of her own chair, fussing nervously with the sleeve of her robe.<br/>
I had seen Morda in passing. I had been told she was Laurem’s mother, but had never spoken with her before, nor had we been introduced. There was very little physical resemblance between the two, but Morda had an air about her, a tilt of her head, a movement of her hands, which was reminiscent of Laurem. I warmed to her, and smiled, hoping to set her at ease. Her opinion of me mattered and I wanted her approval.<br/>
“I’m Morda Kalcar, Laurem’s mother, but I think you knew that,” she began. I nodded in return. Morda smiled ruefully, “I'm sure you are curious as to why I wanted to speak with you.”<br/>
“Yes, I am.” Curious was an understatement.<br/>
Morda clasped her hands together and rested them on the table in front of her, in a very Laurem like gesture. “Laurem is everything to me. I would do anything in my power to protect her, and keep her safe.” She paused, as if choosing her next words carefully, “You’re important to her.”<br/>
“I…Laurem is important to me, too, Mistress Kalcar,” I swallowed. Where was this going?<br/>
“Is she?” she replied with a worried frown, “I'm counting on it. Her life may depend on it.”<br/>
Morda had my full attention. “What do you mean, her life may depend on it?”<br/>
Morda sighed heavily, “I am taking a big risk by talking with you, but I am hoping you will help me. Please.”<br/>
“How can I help?”<br/>
I listened as Morda explained the simple plan concocted by my mother. Mistress  was willing to offer Laurem as bait for Roirck in exchange for her name on the committee listing. Mistress would act concerned and worried for the missing child, all the while being the one that orchestrated her disappearance and removal from my life. Mistress had given me express instructions to get her name added to the listing by the end of the evening. She apparently was leaving nothing to chance.<br/>
Roirck was well connected, and dangerous enough to be nearly untouchable, to everyone else maybe, but not to me.<br/>
Morda looked expectantly at me. I would never allow Laurem to be used by Roirck.<br/>
“You were right to come to me. I will do everything in my power to protect her.”<br/>
Morda’s body physically deflated with relief. She had to be extremely worried to appeal to me for help, especially since it would go against the wishes of my own parents. I regarded Morda with a newfound respect and wished I had such a mother.<br/>
As we stood, in Laurem type fashion, Morda put her arms around me and hugged me. Unused to such attentions, my arms hung down at my sides. Mother and daughter were always catching me unawares with their affectionate gestures.<br/>
“Thank you, Master Palpatine. I am indebted to you, sir.”<br/>
“Call me Sheev. And you owe me nothing.”<br/>
With a nod and a touch to my shoulder, Morda left the room. I waited a minute or two, checked the hallway, and finding it empty, made my way to the dreaded lessons.</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
I sauntered around the green place, taking in the beautifully dressed denizens as they ate and drank to their hearts content. The party may have been held for Roirck, but other deals and intrigues were being struck here tonight. Competition for the all-important committee listing was fierce. If I were a senator, I wouldn’t hold stupid parties, or cater to people to win their favor. They would work for me, or suffer the consequences.<br/>
I glanced over at Roirck and while he appeared to be pleased, he also seemed bored, something I was sure did not escape Mistress’s attention.<br/>
Laurem was roaming around with a tray, picking up empty glasses and plates. She was dead on her feet. I was tired, too, but until Laurem was safe with her mother, then I would not leave. I caught her glance at me and a quick smile. I wish we could talk with one another. It would be a relief from the usual boring political chatter.<br/>
“You there,” Mistress called to Laurem with a snap of her fingers, “See that man sitting over there? Make sure his glass is refilled.”<br/>
Confusion bloomed on Laurem’s face, as she looked around for a server. Laurem acting as a runner, had nothing to refill his glass. She approached Roirck anyway, tray in hand, "May I refill your glass?"<br/>
It was quite dark out since most of the city lights had been extinguished for better moon viewing. Her bright white robes nearly glowed in the dark. I positioned myself closer as to overhear their conversation. I glanced at Mistress, and while she didn’t appear to be watching, I knew she was keenly interested in their exchange.<br/>
Roirck looked at Laurem with amusement, “With what?” He gestured to her tray of discarded dishes.<br/>
“Mistress mentioned you were in need of a refill,” Laurem calmly replied. “I will take care of these later,” she raised the tray a little in way of explanation.<br/>
I covertly watched the innocence of Laurem's expression. I recognized in that moment I'd risk anything to protect her. I loved her. She was the only person in existence who actually cared about me. I wouldn’t let the evil bastard even think about touching her.<br/>
“What is your name, little one?” Roirck leaned forward, his movements fluid and graceful, like a creature circling it's prey.<br/>
“My name is Laurem,” she answered him quietly. Oddly, her glow, usually strong and persistent, now flickered wildly around the edges.<br/>
“Should you be up so late, Laurem? Where is your mother?” he smiled looking casually around the grounds.<br/>
“My mother is in the kitchen, sir. I am to bring the dishes and glasses back to her when the guests are done with them. Umm…Mistress said you wanted a refill?”<br/>
“She did, did she?” Roirck replied. He tipped the glass back and his throat worked while he drained his glass. He licked the drink from his lips, “You should not be walking alone in the dark, little one. Let me escort you to the kitchen. I'll help you find your mother.”<br/>
Roirck stood and glanced toward Mistress, catching her eye, he raised his glass to her before placing the empty container on Laurem’s tray. Mistress nodded with smug satisfaction. I flexed my hands. I could easily kill her. She turned away; confident her plan had succeeded, when Roirck gripped Laurem’s shoulder to lead her towards the exit.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
My stomach churned with mortification. I couldn’t allow Roirck to leave the party! Mistress would be furious. I shook my head and tried to step out of his grip, “I thank you for your kindness, sir, but I assure you I am quite familiar with the way. Please, allow me to bring the refill to you. Which drink is your preference?”<br/>
He smiled a charming smile, “I’m sure you do know the way, but I insist. It is much too dark for you to walk alone. The drink can wait.”<br/>
My knees were shaking now. I had been dead on my feet only a few minutes ago, but was wide awake now. I didn’t look in Mistress's direction; certain she was seething with displeasure. Roirck inclined his head and I started to walk with him as slowly as possible while trying to think of a way out of this predicament. Roirck had such a solid grip on my shoulder it was almost painful. I couldn’t pull away without a struggle and causing a scene.<br/>
“Good evening, Senator Roirck. Are you enjoying yourself this evening?” he said as he fell into step with us. I almost sighed out loud. Sheev was the most awesome person in the entire universe. I glanced up at him with grateful eyes, silently thanking him for running interference. He was so charming. I knew he could entice Roirck to stay and talk with him, while I snuck back to the kitchen. Situation resolved. Hopefully.</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
Earlier that day...
“So, you finally decided to grace us with your presence. I expect you to be on time when I call for you! Now, I need you to follow Senator Grantem. Find out what his plans are for the Kellan delivery. Glean what you can from Senator Mickum about the uprising on Hauttoum. I’m certain the uprising will eliminate Mickum from the candidate listing since he obviously can’t keep his people under control.” Mistress stated with a gleeful smile. She was perched on the 'throne chair', erect and elegant, her face painted to match her rich robe. The white paint had been put on too thickly and an assortment of thin cracks spread across her face when she smiled.<br/>
"Most important of all, of course, is Roirck. You must get him to agree to add us to the committee listing by the end of the evening."<br/>
“Mistress, I've heard some disturbing rumors about Senator Roirck.” I began, “Are you sure you wish to align yourself with him?”<br/>
“Of course, I do! And they aren’t rumors. He is as nature intended.”<br/>
“What do you mean, as nature intended?”<br/>
"Sheev, are they not teaching you the basic concepts of life? Or are you too dense to comprehend?” She continued, “By all means, allow me to enlighten you. Roirck is a beautiful  man and in nature, the most beautiful creatures are often the deadliest. They use their beauty, draw in their prey, then strike quickly and kill instantly. Their beauty is their power. Politics are much the same. Draw them in with grace and beauty, then strike, and take what you want.”<br/>
When I didn’t immediately reply, Mistress stood up and put one hand on my shoulder, digging her nails into my skin. “You must have power. Money is helpful, but with power, anything you want is at your fingertips. If you learn nothing else from me, learn the accumulation of power is the most important thing in the universe.”<br/>
I nodded, but she released me with a hiss, as if she didn’t think I understood, but I did. Power was everything. I intended to amass as much as possible. Someday. And I wouldn’t have to court people like Roirck to achieve it, either. He was the kind of person that would come to me.<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
Rage burned through me at the sight of Laurem's small figure gripped by Roircks's massive hand.<br/>
“Good evening, Senator Roirck. Have you enjoyed yourself this evening?”<br/>
Roirck turned his charming smile to me, “Yes. I have Master Palpatine. This delightful young lady was going to take me to get a refill.”<br/>
“Well, go get it. What are you waiting for?” I snapped at Laurem, hoping she understood why I had spoken so harshly to her. I shouldn’t have worried, because the look on her face said it all.<br/>
“Yes, Master Palpatine,” she replied sweetly, “And may I get you something as well?”<br/>
I shook my head no and waved my hand dismissively for her to leave. She bowed slightly and quickly walked toward the kitchen with a slight smile on her face.<br/>
“I apologize for her laziness. Should you find a place to rest until she returns?”<br/>
The smile faded on Senator Roirck’s face, “You know, I…,” he faltered and choked.<br/>
“Are you alright, Senator?” I asked, cringing at the fake concern in my voice. I reached his elbow as he started to sag toward the ground. I pulled him up to keep him from crumpling to my feet. He started to weave; to others it would appear as if he had too much to drink.<br/>
“I…don’t know. I'm exhausted. Do you think...?” his voice trailed off as he looked blankly around.<br/>
“Ahh, yes,  you've been working so hard, lately. Please, allow me to show you to an area where you can lie down. I promise to come and wake you for the full eclipse. It's not for some time yet. You should rest until then,” I used his elbow to steer him towards rooms which had been readied for guests, “When you wake up, you will add the Senators Palpatine to the committee listing.”<br/>
“Thank you. Yes.” Roirck replied with a yawn, “Yes. I will get some rest. I will add the Senators Palpatine to the committee listing.”<br/>
He fell asleep as soon as he reclined on the bed. Not bad, I thought to myself, almost too easy.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
I had been assigned a late start with light duties the next morning; one of the benefits to working a late-night party. I was relieved to see Sheev shortly after I finished my work.<br/>
"Hey Laurem. How's it going?"<br/>
"Depends. How did it go with Senator Roirck after I left? Is Mistress going to be angry with me?"<br/>
Sheev grabbed a celtok, crunching on it thoughtfully, "Why would she be angry with you?"<br/>
"Because of Roirck. He almost left her party because of me."<br/>
Sheev laughed, "If she is going to be angry with anyone, it is going to be me."<br/>
He pulled on my arm and I followed him to his room. I was taken aback, when after we were safely inside, he pulled me into a warm hug. It was the first time he had ever hugged me.<br/>
“I'm sorry I snapped at you last night. I needed to get Roirck away from you.”<br/>
“Oh, I knew that. Thank you for coming to my rescue,” I replied, looking up at him with a wide smile.<br/>
“Roirck is not a nice man. I had to get you away from him." I waited for Sheev to explain, but instead he asked, “Have you kept our secret?”<br/>
“Yes, of course."<br/>
“I have been practicing. A little every day. I keep getting better and better and able to do more things. I kept you from dropping a tray last night.”<br/>
“Wait? What are you talking about? I thought you could only do the blue light?”<br/>
“I can do all sorts of things now. Let me show you,” he said with boyish enthusiasm.<br/>
"Systems! Lock the door!" Sheev called out, to me he continued, “I don’t want Mistress to see. She informed me she is coming here sometime today.”<br/>
“Oh no! She’s coming here?” I wailed. Sheev pulled me over to our favorite place where I dropped dispiritedly on the floor cushion.<br/>
“Come on, Laurem. I told you it will be fine,” Sheev replied with a roll of his eyes. “Forget about her! Watch me. This is pretty cool.”<br/>
Sheev reached behind him and placed a chasi game board between us. We had never played this particular game before since it can take so long to play a single game. My eyes were drawn to the elaborately carved and colorful game pieces. It was the most beautiful game set I had ever seen.<br/>
Sheev waved his hand over the board and the heavy stone pieces floated up and hovered in the air. He waved his hand again, and the pieces formed a circle that began to spin, slowly at first, then so wildly fast it created a breeze that blew wayward strands of hair away from my face. He gestured with his hands and the pieces all landed perfectly on the board starting positions.<br/>
“Sheev! That's amazing! You’re a Jedi! Are you going to join the temple for training?”<br/>
He scoffed angrily, “What? No! I’m not a Jedi!”<br/>
“Don’t you want to go on adventures, and carry a light saber?” I jumped up and pretended I was fighting someone with a light saber. I couldn’t think of anything more glamorous than the Jedi legends. If he was a Jedi, then he would have to leave for training, and I didn’t want him to go. I stopped my imaginary battle and sank back down onto the cushion.<br/>
“The Jedi are weak. They think they have power over the Senate, but they don’t. They work for the Senate. Besides, there are no Jedi who can do this.”<br/>
He held his hands in front of him while steady streaks of beautiful blue light passed between his fingers. The light held strong and bright, not flickering like before, but wavering and dancing as it flowed from hand to hand.<br/>
I gaped in open mouthed amazement, from the dancing lights, then back to him. The blue was the brightest, most beautiful blue I had ever seen. I simply couldn’t help myself, when I stretched one finger out and touched the dancing light.<br/>
Time suspended. Paralyzing pain coursed through me, burning over each nerve ending, leaving what felt like charred remains. I wasn't sure which was the worst sensation, the searing pain or the crippling fear which had gripped me. I wanted to cry out in agony, but I was unable to utter a single sound. My vision narrowed. Black spots swam before my eyes. I slumped to the floor unable to move or speak. I could only stare at the dull gray ceiling. As the physical pain receded, the mental agony left behind was acute.<br/>
Sheev was in a panic. I could mentally register he was shaking me and calling my name, but it was as if he were doing so from a great distance. Finally, after some moments, I was able to focus on his worried face, but was still unable to move my spent body.<br/>
“What was that, Sheev? It was horrible,” I croaked.<br/>
He smiled. A huge ear to ear grin.<br/>
“Really?” he replied, pleased with my response.<br/>
He grabbed me under my arms and helped me into a sitting position. Physically, I had recovered enough to stay where he sat me, but mentally, I was still devastated and wanted to cry.<br/>
“I wish I'd never touched it. It was just so pretty,” embarrassed to find tears had filled my eyes. I was confused by how something so beautiful could cause such awful sensations.<br/>
Whatever Sheev had been about to say died on his lips because of an angry knocking on the door. Sheev and I looked at one another. Mistress. He reached over for a quick half hug and whispered in my ear, “Don’t worry.”<br/>
My eyes followed him as he jumped up to open the door. He was remarkably composed. But then again, she was always angry with him about something. He wasn’t worried because this was an average day for him.<br/>
I, on the other hand, was terrified of Mistress and I couldn’t stop my knees from shaking. I wasn't positive whether it was leftover sensations from the blue light, or fear from what fresh terror his mother might bring. As I stood there quaking, I realized there wasn’t anything I could have done differently last night.<br/>
Mistress stormed into the room like a star destroyer; a small girl dressed in white robes trailed behind her like a lost tie fighter. Mistress swirled to a stop in front of Sheev, hands on her hips, her heavily perfumed robes a whirl of bright color. The little girl stopped and stood behind Mistress, looking as if she wished she could disappear. I recognized her from the classroom, but couldn’t recall her name. Mistress waved her hands in my direction, a look of annoyance and distaste for me clearly apparent on her face, “You! You may go.”<br/>
I glanced quickly at Sheev; shocked at being summarily dismissed without a lecture. My shoulders relaxed with relief but I couldn't help but wonder what Sheev had done to earn Mistress's displeasure.<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
I was relieved when Laurem left. Mistress regarded me with anticipatory delight. It could not bode well for anyone, especially me. Only after the door closed behind Laurem, did Mistress address me.<br/>
“You should not have interfered!”<br/>
Her movements were a blur as she struck me hard across my cheek. My head snapped to the side and my cheek burned. At least I knew why she decided to beat me. When I was younger, she had beaten me when I didn’t understand that I wasn’t to seek her company, or her affection. I had learned at a very early age to never, ever, call her Mother. I understood since those early years, not to react, so I didn’t move, not to even touch my burning cheek. It would only encourage her to hit me again.<br/>
“Now I have to find another way to win his favor. I don’t like having to appease anyone.”<br/>
“You won’t have to appease anyone. Roirck told me last night he was going to add you to the list of nominees.”<br/>
“And yet nothing has been done. Our names are not on the list. You were supposed to make sure it happened,” Mistress spoke through gritted teeth, eyes narrowed at me.<br/>
She looked over her shoulder at the little girl and then back to me. With a smirk she asked, “Remind you of anyone?”<br/>
I observed the little girl for the first time. She was quite young, she wore her dark hair in a single braid that fell down her back, much like Laurem wore hers. Did Mistress think? No, she couldn't.<br/>
The little girl was terrified, her pale face was pinched, as if she might get sick on the floor at any moment. She was visibly shaking. I felt a fleeting moment of pity for her, but it soon passed. I shrugged. Mistress was a little disappointed at my response, but not for long. She spun around and slapped the girl as hard as she could across the face, the force of which threw her to the ground.<br/>
“Get up!” she screamed.<br/>
The girl, now crying quietly, her face reddened, scrambled to her feet. Mistress held her by her thin arm and struck her again and again, sometimes with her closed fist. She hit her until blood started to stream from her nose and cuts opened on her face from Mistress’s heavy rings. The girl sobbed, but never cried out or begged her to stop. She must have instinctively realized it would only make the beating worse. The glee on Mistress’s face was one I would not soon forget. She enjoyed beating this fake Laurem and she wanted to make sure I was aware of how much. I tucked my clenched fists behind my back to hide the flickering lights.<br/>
Mistress dropped the girl’s arm, and she slumped to the floor. She took a step back and viewed her handiwork. Blood, mingled with saliva and tears, steadily dripped onto the polished gray floor. The girl’s eyes were open but staring. She appeared to be holding her breath in fear of the next onslaught of abuse.<br/>
Mistress turned to me, “See what you made me do?”<br/>
She drew a cloth out of her robe pocket and wiped her hands, her expression one of disgust when some of the blood would not wipe off. She made an impatient noise and thrust the cloth back into her pocket.<br/>
“I will send someone for her. Do what I say, when I say, or the next time it won’t be a substitute. Do you understand?”<br/>
She didn't even wait for me to respond when with shoulders back and head held high, she swept from my room. The girl's chest rose and fell in a heavy sigh of relief.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
I waited for Sheev to come and tell me what had happened after I left, but he didn’t come. I worried Mistress had punished him or had forbidden him from spending time with me. Sheev didn’t come the next day or the next. I began to worry about him and hoped he would send me a note if he had been ordered to stay away, but more days passed with no word.<br/>
It was a shock when I finally saw the little girl. She was almost unrecognizable. Her face was swollen and covered with mottled bruising and scabbed over cuts.  She walked slowly, hunched in pain. I looked at her in surprise, and was going to ask what happened, but she pointedly turned away.<br/>
The white workers began treating me differently with whispered conversations and pointed looks. They would stop talking whenever I walked by and would glare at me until I passed. Sometimes they would turn away and act like I wasn’t even there. Even Katen, while I would never have called her a friend, was more abrupt than usual, and less patient with my mistakes.<br/>
I decided to wait up and ask Mother about what had happened to the little girl, but she worked so late, that I fell asleep and missed my opportunity. When I woke up the next morning, she had already left for work. I hated Pacia for making Mother work so hard. Pacia, was always singling Mother out and making her go to her office to be reprimanded, too. I rarely saw Mother anymore.<br/>
I considered asking Katen about the girl, but she scolded me as soon as I walked into the kitchen, “You’re late! Do you think you are so special that you don’t have to show up for work on time?”<br/>
I was surprised by her tone. “Of course not, Mistress Katen,” I replied, grabbing a shefa to cover my white robes. “What would you like me to work on today?”<br/>
She pointed to a huge pile of cannibs. I hated prepping cannibs and Katen knew it. It was also something most of the new, inexperienced workers were assigned to do. I was perplexed, but grabbed the haynkin to work on preparing them.<br/>
The next day it was more of the same. And the day after that and the day after that. More and more tedious chores were piled up to keep me busy. I would stumble to my room every night, so tired I would fall asleep immediately, sometimes in my work robes, because I was too tired to change. I had so much work to do, I began to skip my lessons.<br/>
After several weeks of no visits from Sheev, I decided to sneak a visit, but I couldn’t find him. I missed him so much. Was he not allowed to come talk to me, or was he staying away purposefully until Mistress calmed down?<br/>
Katen continued to give me more and more work to do and was angry with me when I couldn’t get it all done. My days were spent working from the time I woke up, until the time I went to bed. I was miserable. I needed Mother.<br/>
</p><p>MOTHER<br/>
Pacia sat back tiredly in her chair and sighed, "Morda, I have to tell you the workers blame Laurem for Murium's beating."<br/>
“What? Is that why they've been acting strangely towards me?” I wondered aloud. “Why would they blame Laurem? She had nothing to do with it.”<br/>
“Have you noticed the girl that was beaten, bears more than a passing resemblance to Laurem?”<br/>
"No. They both have dark hair and dark eyes, but so do a lot of the girls here.”<br/>
“The workers don’t think so. They think their children might be punished for Laurem’s relationship with Sheev.”<br/>
“Then why wouldn’t Mistress be beating Laurem? They aren't thinking logically."<br/>
“A grown woman beating a child because she looks like the child she really wants to beat, all to punish her son, isn't logical. None of this makes sense, but I wanted you to be aware of what the others were saying. This could cause problems for you, and for Laurem.”<br/>
“Well, thank you for telling me, but the workers are blaming the wrong person. Honestly, I think the time has come for me to seriously consider leaving the gray place,” I replied. The more I learned about Mistress, the more concerned I became about her behavior and the more worried I was for Laurem.<br/>
Pacia pressed her hands down on her desk and said with a pained expression, “I thought you might be considering a move. It is selfish of me, but I don’t want you to go. I don’t want to lose the only friend I’ve ever had in this awful place.”<br/>
My expression softened, “Would you consider coming with us?”<br/>
“I don’t know if I can. How would we live?” she asked, concern etched across her tired face.<br/>
“I have the house they gave me when Agan died. We could live there, but jobs are so scarce. I have no savings." I added bitterly. I had no good choices. Stay, and risk Laurem being a victim of Mistress’s brutality, or leave, and possibly starve.<br/>
I stretched my hands over the desk and clasped both of Pacia’s hands in mine, “There are so few jobs here. I'll make some inquiries about selling my house. There has to be somewhere we can move to find work.”<br/>
Pacia smiled and squeezed both of my hands before she released them, “Thank you. I wish I could contribute something, anything, but I came with nothing and I will leave with nothing.” We were all in the same situation. Neither of us had much of value, making it difficult to leave.<br/>
"Morda, there is more."<br/>
I sighed, "What more could there be?"<br/>
“Mistress demanded we double Laurem’s duties. She wants Laurem to report directly to me when she's done in the kitchen. Mistress may not have hurt Laurem physically, but it doesn’t mean she can’t get to her another way. If she's working, then she can't be with Sheev.”<br/>
I ground my teeth together. I had never known such anger directed towards another person in my life. It was a good thing we were rarely in each other's presence.<br/>
“Is there a way I could take some of the work intended for Laurem? I could help with everything she is assigned to do outside of the kitchen.”<br/>
"It would take some coordination, but I am willing, if you are."<br/>
"Until I find out about the house and a possible move, I can do this. I can take on the extra duties."<br/>
“Neither of us can afford for anything to get back to Mistress about this arrangement. It will have to remain between us.”<br/>
“Understood. And Pacia, I really appreciate your help.”<br/>
“I’m sorry I can’t do more, Morda.”<br/>
I stood up abruptly, and in an attempt at cheerfulness, declared, “I think I should get to work. What do you have that needs to be done?”<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
The atmosphere of the gray place had become openly hostile towards me. Katen had stopped being remotely civil to me. I haven’t spoken with Mother for weeks since Pacia has been giving her more work hours than ever before. Pacia stopped me in front of a group of white workers and said I was an ungrateful child.<br/>
Sheev hadn’t been to the kitchen to visit me for a long time. I wouldn’t have time to spend with him anyway. Katen has been piling on more work than I can handle in a week, let alone a day. She had not been allowing me to leave for lessons if I haven’t completed all of my work. My lessons are so behind I will probably be sent back to the classes with the younger children. It will be humiliating to have worked so hard to move up, only to be sent back again.<br/>
And I’m so tired! I barely get to bed when I have to get up again. All I want to do is crawl back into my warm bed and sleep for days, which I could never do, not when Mother has been working even harder than me.<br/>
My reflection swam with tears I refused to spill as I mechanically braided my hair and pinned it up for work. Would it kill someone to have a kind word for me today? I pulled on my white robes and left for the kitchen, trudging dispiritedly.<br/>
“You’re late!” Katen barked, "I don’t have time to cater to you. We need the cannibs prepared for the soup again. I need them done as soon as possible.”<br/>
She pointed with a knife to the counter where another huge pile of cannibs awaited me. Katen crossed her arms, a smug smile on her face. She had been repeating the same menu on purpose. She knew how much I hated cleaning cannibs.<br/>
I looked down at my feet, clamping my teeth together with an audible snap. I would not cry. And yet here I was, one hot tear burning a molten path down my cheek.<br/>
I jerked my head up, lips pressed tightly together to stop the quivering, and glared defiantly at Katen. I threw down my shefa, and with eyes that dared her to say a word, stalked out of the kitchen. I would go to Sheev and tell him I was leaving. He might even want to come with me. We would get Mother, pack our belongings, and we would all run away. Together.<br/>
I ran as quickly as I could to Sheev’s rooms. I knocked lightly but he didn’t answer. I tiptoed into the suite, jumping when the door made a whooshing sound as it closed behind me. It seemed so much quieter during the day. I let my eyes adjust to the darkness, then made my way over to his sleeping chamber.<br/>
He was a great lump in the middle of his huge bed. I stifled a giggle, throwing my hand over my mouth to silence any sounds. I bet the big lug grew again. I smiled wickedly. Tiptoeing closer, I boosted myself up onto the mattress, trying not to shake the bed as I crawled over to him. I put my hand on his shoulder and squeezed lightly. He didn't budge. I wanted to wake him, but I didn’t want to startle him into using his newfound Jedi abilities. I certainly didn't want to get shocked with the blue light again.<br/>
I gently shook his shoulder, and he came awake, throwing his covers aside, “Whaaaa?!”<br/>
“Sshhhhh!” I admonished in a whisper, “You don’t want to rouse the guard. I don’t need to get into any more trouble.”<br/>
“Laurem?” Sheev mumbled in a rumbling deep voice.<br/>
“Yes. It’s me. You sound different. I came to see you before I left. I wanted to say goodbye.”<br/>
He sat up and touched the wall, which softly illuminated his bed, “What do you mean before you left?”<br/>
“I’ve decided to run away. Do you want to come with me?”<br/>
I sat back on my heels. Who was this grown man, and what did he do with Sheev? How was it possible he could change so much in only a few months?<br/>
His hair, longer than I had ever seen it, was disheveled from sleep and brushing lightly over his collar bones. His eyes were shadowed with sleep; his gaze intent on my face, as I took in his myriad of physical changes. The bedcovers had fallen from his shoulders and pooled in his lap. He wasn’t wearing a traditional under robe for sleeping, so his chest was bare, his skin smoothly stretched over newfound musculature. He was...beautiful.<br/>
His face was flushed, from sleep, or possibly from my scrutiny, I couldn’t tell. I blushed a little myself, but I still couldn’t stop looking at this new Sheev. His face was more angular, and sharp, his chin stronger, and more prominent, and now covered with soft blonde stubble. His face had always been dear to me, but I hadn't noticed exactly how handsome he was until this moment.<br/>
He sat forward and stuffed some pillows behind him, then leaned back against the wall. His lips curved into a cocky smile, “Well, are you going to just sit there looking at me, or are you going to tell me why you’re running away?”<br/>
I ignored his question, “Where have you been? Why haven’t you come by the kitchen to see me?”<br/>
“I didn’t think you wanted to see me.”<br/>
“Why would you think that?”<br/>
“Katen told me. She said you were angry with me and if I came to the kitchen, she was to send me away because you didn’t want to see me.”<br/>
My mouth fell open in disbelief. All of this time, I thought he was staying away to appease Mistress. I couldn’t believe Katen would be so devious.<br/>
“That’s a lie! I said no such thing! Katen has been awful, Sheev! She’s been giving me so much to do, I haven’t been to lessons in ages. And the workers! The workers have been so mean. Pacia has been giving Mother so much work. She barely has time to get any sleep. I haven’t seen her in weeks. I miss her. I miss y-ou.”<br/>
My breathing hitched and to my mortification, tears collected in my eyes, threatening to spill over. I wiped at them angrily with my sleeve. I took in a lungful of air and blurted, “So I’m going to run away!”<br/>
“No, Laurem. Please don't. Please don’t leave me.”<br/>
The tears, which had threatened before, began to fall in earnest. Sheev scooped me up and settled me on his lap. He wrapped his arms around me, pressing my face to the smooth skin of his shoulder. I could feel his cheek resting on my hair. He made clumsy soothing noises as his big hand rubbed my back. He had probably never had to comfort anyone before and a warmth spread through me. He was as lonely as I was. I needed to stop thinking of myself.<br/>
He finally said with a chuckle, “I never fully realized how little you were until this moment.”<br/>
I sighed, was I pitying him just a moment before? “I was wondering myself what happened to you. How is it possible you have changed so much in only a few months?”<br/>
He was quiet for a minute, “Well, it was either a growth spurt or a side effect.”<br/>
“Side effect of what?”<br/>
“Well, since we haven’t been spending any time together, I’ve had plenty of free time. I’ve been angry, so it’s been easy to practice, you know, to fill my time. I noticed I was almost aging more after every day.” He squeezed me again, my head resting comfortably against his strong shoulder, “I’ve missed you. So much,” he eased me back. “Please don’t go. I can help things get better for you.”<br/>
“No. I don’t want to put you in that position. You’ve had enough dealing with Mistress, haven’t you?”<br/>
He lifted me and sat me beside him on the bed. “Sit up,” he commanded and pulled a warm pillow from behind his back and plopped it behind me. I leaned back, stretched my legs out in front of me and realized my heart was lighter than it had been in weeks.<br/>
“I thought you were angry with me. I thought you hated me,” Sheev stated flatly.<br/>
I reached for Sheev’s hand, sliding my palm over his as I intertwined our fingers. His hand was heavy in mine, as I lifted our clasped hands to press them to my heart.<br/>
“Oh, Sheev! Don’t be ridiculous. I could never hate you. I love you.”<br/>
I had never told him before, but I meant every word of it. I did love him. He was my friend, but he was also so much more. He was my confidante. His joys were my joys. His sorrows were my sorrows. When we were together, I was complete.<br/>
“Mistress assaulted that girl because she looked like you,” he said in a rush. “It's why you are being treated the way you are by the workers. Mistress did it to warn me.”<br/>
I blinked blankly at Sheev, trying to grasp what he was saying. “What?”<br/>
"How can I explain when you are too innocent to understand? I am so ashamed of my family. I wish..." Sheeve trailed off with a shrug.<br/>
"You're right. I don't understand. But you are nothing like Mistress."<br/>
He lifted my hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss on the back before releasing it. “You are truly the only good thing about this wretched place.” He surprised me when he placed his hand on the back of my neck and pressed a chaste kiss to my forehead. "We aren't running away today. Give me some time to make this right.”<br/>
I shook my head, sorry he had to come to my rescue again, “Sheev, I'm sorry."<br/>
"You have nothing to apologize for."<br/>
"Do you think...could we get together again? ”<br/>
“Yes.I want that, too. And Laurem, if I ever decide to run away, you are the only thing I need to take with me.”<br/>
“It isn’t fair. You always help me, but what can I ever do for you?”<br/>
Sheev shrugged, “Don’t worry about it. You should get back to the kitchen before Katen sends out a search party.”<br/>
“Yes, but, please, don’t do anything to cause more trouble with you and Mistress," I squeezed his arm and looked at him imploringly.<br/>
"I will see what I can do. We don’t want anyone to learn about our conversation this morning. Okay?”<br/>
“Okay.”<br/>
I gave Sheev a quick fierce hug and kiss on the cheek. I bounded off his bed, feeling light and happy for the first time in weeks.<br/>
With a quick wave goodbye, I headed back to work. I didn’t hear him murmur, as the door was closing behind me, “She loves me.”<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
I reclined on my back with my hands behind my head, grinning from ear to ear. I had been a fool. I should have spoken with her myself instead of moping around these past several weeks. It was time wasted when I could have been with my girl. My girl. I wanted to make them all suffer for abusing her so, but who to handle first? Decisions, decisions, I chuckled to myself.<br/>
I would love to run through the gray place, using my abilities to punish Laurem's abusers, but I couldn't. Mistress would love to learn of my powers. She wouldn't relent until I allowed her to use them for her benefit. She would gleefully hurt Laurem if I didn’t comply. Oh, but then she'd learn. I had the power to bring her to her knees and keep her there. No, it was safer for Laurem if they remained a secret.<br/>
My plans were taking shape. I would leave for the Senate chambers directly after talking to Pacia. I should have taken care of Roirck and his listing weeks ago, but I had been too wrapped up in my misery and missing Laurem.<br/>
I dressed quickly and moved with purpose. I entered Pacia's office without knocking. She had a large book spread on her desk and was busily jotting figures down onto the page before her. She peered at me over glasses which were perched on the end of her nose. She appeared initially startled by my appearance, but quickly recovered. She removed her glasses, reclined back in her desk chair and smiled at me.<br/>
“I’ve been waiting for you to show up at my door,” she said. “Have a seat. I think there are some things we need to discuss.”<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
Sheev was a miracle worker.<br/>
Roirck published the committee listing the very next day. The Palpatines were at the top of the list, as senior advisors no less. For a brief period of time after the announcement, the gray place was a flurry of activity. Once Master and Mistress were ensconced in their new roles, they became so busy, they were seldom seen at the gray place. As a bonus, with the Palpatines rarely at home, our daily chores lightened considerably.<br/>
Mother still maintained a heavy workload, but she began taking one night free each week. I was delighted to have her company again, to take an evening meal with her, and to get her advice. I was able to get answers about how to handle my changing body. Finally!<br/>
My thirteenth season day was coming up, and much as she tried to keep it a secret, I was well aware Mother had a surprise for me. But I really only wanted one thing. I wanted Sheev to come to our rooms for dinner. I asked mother and she said if he wanted to come, then he was welcome. I barely slept the night before I was to deliver our invitation. I made up a plausible excuse with Katen early in my workday, and practically danced through the gray place looking for him.<br/>
I finally found him in the green place. I stopped to catch my breath. He was standing with the warm morning light shining on his hair and illuminating his body. He was wearing soft white robes, standing erect and strong, his head back, eyes closed, and his fisted hands down by his sides. Bathed in the golden light, he was breathtakingly beautiful. I wanted to go to him, but he was concentrating so fiercely, I didn’t want to disturb him. To my amazement, he started to hover above the ground.<br/>
“Sheev!” I admonished.<br/>
He opened his eyes and slowly lowered to the ground, smiling beatifically at me. I ran over and tugged imploringly at his sleeve.<br/>
“You could have been caught! What if someone saw you?”<br/>
Sheev had confided his reasons for keeping his abilities a secret, so I was surprised he was openly practicing in the green place.<br/>
He shrugged as if it was no big deal, “I can’t explain exactly, but I knew no one was there.”<br/>
“But I was there. Did you not feel me?” I clutched a hand to my stomach, sick at the thought of what his parents might do to him, and possibly to me, if they caught him.<br/>
“I knew you were there and no one else. Besides…what did you think?” he grinned.<br/>
“What did I think? What did I think?! Sheev, you lifted yourself off of the ground.”<br/>
“Yeah. Pretty great, right?” Sheev bragged, rubbing his chest.<br/>
I rolled my eyes, and grudgingly replied with a smile, “Yeah, it was pretty great. But I can’t think of a single thing you don’t do well. Not one thing! It’s disgusting!”<br/>
Sheev had a cocky half smile on his face which was too adorable for words. I grabbed his hand and pulled him towards me and kissed him quickly on the lips. He smiled so sweetly at me, my heart soared. He pulled me close again and we rested our foreheads together. My heart was so full of love for him; I couldn’t breathe. Then I remembered why I was there in the first place.<br/>
“Oh! I was looking for you.”<br/>
"Looks like you found me."
I brought my fist up to cover my mouth as I cleared my throat, “Sheev Palpatine, it would give me great pleasure if you would dine with Mother and I for my season day. Do you think you could make it?” I asked, excitedly bouncing up and down on my toes, “Please?”<br/>
Sheev regarded me with an indecipherable expression, then bowed slightly, “I would be honored, Laurem.”<br/>
I curtsied, then caught him in a fierce hug, blurting out the time as I squeezed my face into his chest. I almost danced back to work. Now, what was I going to wear?<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
I tugged on the neck of my robe and adjusted the sleeves of the third robe I had changed into. I wasn't sure what to wear for this dinner. I didn't want to overdress, but I definitely wanted to make a good impression. I wanted Morda to approve of me. I usually didn’t care what people thought about me, but this was important. It made me fidgety. Sweaty. Edgy.<br/>
I put the shiny blue cloth bag which held Laurem's present in my pocket. I chose everything in blue because it was her favorite color. She should be surprised, and judging from her comments before, I was pretty sure she going to love it.<br/>
As I made my way to their room, I had not realized the distance between our homes, relatively and figuratively. Fortunately, they were sequestered from most of the other workers, in a quiet corner, but even so I made it so no one would open their doors when I walked past. Mistress and Master need not be made aware of my attendance at this particular dinner.<br/>
I knocked lightly, then after a quick scuffling noise, the door slid open to frame an excited, smiling Laurem. She was radiant. It almost hurt to look directly at her. It was the first time I had seen her dressed in her own personal robes. The soft yellow color accentuated her tan skin, and was the perfect foil for her ebony hair and brown eyes. Her hair, she left loose, the glossy locks flowed over her shoulder in soft waves.<br/>
She giggled and gestured for me to enter with a comical flourish, “You are most welcome to our home, Master Sheev.”<br/>
I grinned, made a quick bow and stepped inside the small room,  which had been decorated in cheerful colors. There wasn’t much for furniture, a few pillows on the floor for resting; a small table off to the side was set for three; in the corner was a small bed barely was big enough for Laurem, let alone the two of them. Despite the sparse décor, it had a modest comfort and coziness I realized my own rooms lacked.<br/>
Laurem grasped my elbow and pulled me over to meet her mother, "Mother this is Sheev Palpatine. Sheev, this is my mother, Morda Kalcar."<br/>
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," I said with a short bow. Morda and I had agreed we would not mention our previous meeting to Laurem.<br/>
Morda smiled, "It is a pleasure to meet you, too. Welcome to our home."<br/>
Dinner was ready almost immediately, I pulled out the chair for Laurem, and once Morda was ready to sit, I pulled the chair out for her as well. The conversation flowed naturally and easily, and the meal, prepared specially for Laurem, was delicious.<br/>
Laurem had inherited her gentle sweetness from Morda. It was evident there was a strong loving bond between them. I was at once grateful Laurem was the recipient of such affection, and jealous because I wanted, but would never have, the same relationship with my own mother.<br/>
Morda treated me much the same as Laurem, and I realized I was greatly enjoying this meal. It was the first time I had been surrounded by such warmth and affection. And this, this simple tenderness, was alien to me. My mother would not understand their kindness and would despise them as weak. But they were far more powerful than she could ever be.<br/>
“You look so different in your own robes.”
Laurem grinned proudly, “I finally grew! Mother made them for me and I love them!”<br/>
I couldn't help but laugh. Sitting side by side, I was able to compare mother and daughter. Their temperaments might be much the same, but physically they were as different as night and day. Morda was day, with her blonde hair, fair skin and blue eyes. Laurem was night, with her tan skin, dark hair and brown eyes. I wanted to ask if Laurem was like her father, but didn’t want to bring up any subjects that might bring pain to either of them.<br/>
When it came time to present my gift, I flushed, slightly embarrassed when all eyes turned to me. I pulled the blue bag out of my pocket and awkwardly handed it to her, “This is for you. I hope you like it.”<br/>
Laurem took the shiny blue bag, holding it reverently in her hand. “Sheev, you having dinner with me was my gift from you.”<br/>
“I think this delicious dinner was more of a present for me, than you. Open it!”<br/>
She smiled and turned her full attention to her gift, pulling the string and opening the narrow bag as wide as it could go. She reached in, rummaging around for the contents, while gazing distractedly at me. She gently pulled out the blue kyber crystal, which picked up the surrounding light and bathed the room in a soft blue glow.<br/>
Laurem held up the crystal, turning it to and fro to catch the light, “It’s beautiful. What is it?”<br/>
I reached over and took the crystal from her hand, laying it on my palm. “It’s a Kyber crystal. The Jedi use it for their lightsabers. I know how you admire the Jedi. Plus, I saw the blue and thought of you.”<br/>
Laurem plucked the crystal from my palm, “A light saber crystal! Oh, Sheev! That is so cool! Thank you. I will treasure it always.” Laurem held the crystal out to Morda, “Look Mother! Isn’t it beautiful?”<br/>
“It certainly is! Morda agreed.<br/>
We laughed, talked some more, and too soon it was time for me to leave. I thanked them, bowed, and let myself out, casting one last look at a scene of utter contentment. Maybe we should have run away. Maybe we could have found a peaceful existence in another place.<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
Mistress swept from my room after delivering the news. She had applied, on my behalf, and I had been accepted, into Assendia, an exclusive boarding school for progenies of political families. I had been given one night to get my affairs in order and pack. I would be leaving on the first transport in the morning.<br/>
I knew, deep down, this day was coming. I just didn’t think it would happen this soon. I didn’t want it to happen, not now. I should have been pleased, because it meant I would finally get away from Mistress. But the truth was, I didn’t want to leave Laurem, not for any measure of time. I wouldn’t be able to delay or refuse. I had to go.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
I could tell immediately something was wrong by Sheev's expression.<br/>
The smile died on my lips, “What?” I placed my hand on his arm, as if by touching him, it would brace us both.<br/>
He merely shook his head, “Not here.”<br/>
He grabbed my hand, and I followed. I  glanced over my shoulder to see Katen was absorbed in her task and didn’t notice I was leaving. I pushed Sheev to speed our exit, nearly clipping his heels in my haste. He gripped my hand tight the entire way to his suite. He wouldn’t even look me in the eye.<br/>
We plopped down in our usual spots, both of us a little out of breath from our frenetic pace. I leaned forward and waited expectantly for him to begin. He stared hard at me for a moment, then he opened his mouth to speak, but just closed it and looked away.<br/>
“What is it, Sheev?” The question was barely audible to my own ears.<br/>
“They’re sending me to a school in the Myr galaxy. I’m leaving tomorrow morning on the first transport out. I have no idea when I will return.”<br/>
I sat back on my heels stunned, “The Myr galaxy?”<br/>
“I’m leaving. Tomorrow morning,” he repeated.<br/>
“Tomorrow morning,” I parroted, but not really comprehending. Myr galaxy. Tomorrow. School. Understanding began to snake its way through to my stunned brain. Sheev was leaving. Why couldn’t it have been something else? Anything else? I had taken for granted he would always be there. I hadn’t even considered he would leave for school, but of course he would. He had a brilliant future ahead of him with all the benefits and opportunities that come from having a powerful and wealthy family. I swallowed hard.<br/>
I reached blindly for him, and he pulled me into his arms. I choked out, “No. No. No. I can’t…I am going to…miss you.”<br/>
He buried his face into my neck, his hold so tight it was almost painful. He gripped my upper arms and pushed me back, his eyes reflecting my despair. He was so painfully beautiful. My gaze devoured his face, memorizing every inch. His focus switched to my lips and I held my breath. He softly pressed his lips to mine and held there, so gently. He pulled back and rested his forehead to mine.<br/>
“Please, don’t forget me,” he whispered.<br/>
“Sheev, I could never forget you. I love you.” I put a hand on either side of his face, caressing his cheekbones with my thumbs. I wanted to be frozen like this, looking into his eyes and feeling him close to me.<br/>
He reached up and taking my hands in his, gently squeezed them, “You have to work, and I have to prepare for the move. If you can get away later, come back here. Please? I need to be with you again before I go.”<br/>
“Yes. Yes. I will. I’ll come back.”<br/>
I stood on unsteady legs and clumsily stumbled into the wall. My feet refused to move. His handsome face was so full of despair, I couldn’t walk away. I reached for him, clinging tightly.<br/>
“Please Laurem,” Sheev pleaded in a choked voice. With one last light embrace, I released him.  I forced my feet to carry me to the kitchen without a backward glance.<br/>
I worked in a daze. I couldn’t tell you what I did or if it was finished correctly. I finally was shooed out of the kitchen by a disgusted Katen. I wandered to my room and sat on the bed. Mother was not back from work and I didn’t know when she would be home, so I dashed off a quick note and left.<br/>
I knocked lightly on Sheev's door. He was waiting for me. “I’m sorry I'm so late,” I rambled, “I wanted to tell Mother where I was going, but she must still be working. I left her a note.”<br/>
He was ready for bed, dressed in a soft sleeping robe. I walked to him and he folded me into his arms. He was so tall the top of my head didn’t even reach his chin. He was so big; his arms could wrap around me twice. I was surrounded by him and I relished it.<br/>
“Sheev, I want to stay with you tonight.”<br/>
“I was hoping you would say that,” he murmured.<br/>
I took off the white outer robe and left on the inner lining. It was thicker than my normal sleeping robes and quite modest. I let my hair down and finger combed it, finally twisting it to one side. He took my hand and together we crawled together into his massive bed. He rested on his back and opened his arms to me. I snuggled in with my head on his chest, my ear to his heart, listening to its steady cadence.<br/>
“Laurem, what do you want to do with your life?” he asked, while stroking and playing with my hair.<br/>
His question surprised me, “I guess I haven’t given it much thought. Unless someone engaged me as their apprentice, there aren’t many options for me. If, by some miracle, I did win an apprenticeship, then I wouldn't take it unless Mother can come with me.”<br/>
“Will you do something for me?”<br/>
“Yes, of course. Anything.”<br/>
“Would you stay here for me? I promise I will come back for you. Just…wait for me."<br/>
“Yes, Sheev. I’ll wait for you.”<br/>
“I love you. I’ve never said it before, but I do. You are the only thing I am going to miss when I'm gone.”<br/>
Sheev reached for my hand and intertwined my fingers with his, our hands resting on his chest.<br/>
“I love you, too, Sheev. I always will,” I replied, gently squeezing his hand. I was surprised when Sheev sighed heavily. He may not have said the words to me before, but I had been sure he loved me. He had been gentle, protective and kind. He had faith I would keep his secret which he had shared only with me. All of this spoke of love, whether he realized it or not.<br/>
I snuggled more deeply into his hold, breathing deep, and committing his scent to memory. We talked about everything and nothing, avoiding the discussion of what the next day would bring, until we both fell asleep, warm and safe in each other’s embrace.<br/>
When I woke the next morning, the bed was cold and empty. I jumped up and pulled on my outer robe, twisting my hair out of the way as I rushed to the landing platform. I fervently hoped he hadn’t left yet. Surely, he would have woken me to say a final goodbye, but the platform was empty. Sheev was gone.<br/>
I stood there for some time, letting reality creep in. I was already late for work. We had stayed up so late talking, I overslept. Why didn’t he wake me? Why didn’t he say goodbye?<br/>
I made my way to my room and sat on the edge of the bed. The other half of my heart was flying away from me to some distant planet, in a distant galaxy. He was going to meet interesting people and learn new and exciting things. He was probably going to meet a rich, beautiful girl his parents approved of and I would become a distant memory. He loved me now, but after so much time away from me, would he still feel about me as he does now?<br/>
didn’t want to think.  My head was spinning with sorrow and doubt. I clutched a pillow to fill my empty arms. I wanted sleep. I wanted oblivion. I closed my eyes, but Sheev’s face was all I could see. My body shuddered as a sob crept up my throat. The weight of my agony pressed upon me, pushing me deeper and deeper into the bed.<br/>
Soft hands began to stroke my back. Mother. Mother was here. I tried to focus on her voice, but pain made it impossible to concentrate. With a snap, my heart shattered. and I cried because Sheev never knew love from his parents. I sobbed because he was leaving me and I loved him. I wept because I was terrified, he would never return to me. I cried until my tears were spent.<br/>
I woke to the sound of hushed voices. I pushed up onto my elbows. My eyes were crusted and raw. Mother was speaking softly to someone at the door. I swung around and put my feet on the floor. Mother gently closed the door and moved over to sit beside me.<br/>
“Are we going to get into trouble for missing a day of work? I promised Sh-eev.” I stopped and swallowed hard, vowing the next time I spoke his name, he would be before me. “I promised him I would be here when he got back. We have to be here!”<br/>
Mother rubbed her hand on my forearm and shook her head, “Shhh, it’s OK. I just spoke with Pacia. We can take today away from work. You wouldn’t be able to work today and I would just be worried about you.”<br/>
I regarded her dubiously. Would Pacia truly understand?<br/>
“I’m sorry Sheev had to leave, but this is a good opportunity for him. He has a duty to fulfill which might one day give him freedom from his parents and the gray place,” Mother reasoned. “Did he have any idea when he would be back?”<br/>
“No, he wasn’t sure. He promised me he would come back, though” I replied, “and I believe him.”<br/>
“Then he will be back. He’s a good boy,” Mother said, “If he makes a promise, then he'll keep it. I understand, you know, what it's like, waiting for someone to return. It isn’t easy, but you can get through it. Keep busy and time will pass.” She wrapped her arm around my shoulders and gave me a reassuring squeeze.<br/>
I nodded. My eyelids growing heavy. If I was asleep, then I wouldn’t have to think. So, I slept.<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
I sat quietly while the transport took me away from the only person who ever loved me. Her glow had been so bright, even in her sleep, it hurt to my eyes to look at her. I couldn’t bear to wake her. I didn't have the strength to look into her eyes and say goodbye. Coward that I was, I just left.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
I moved like a droid. I would talk when someone spoke to me. I would eat at mealtimes. I would do what was asked of me. I worked long, arduous hours. My next season day was almost here. It had been almost one full season since I'd last seen Sheev.<br/>
Katen, I could tell, was worried about me. But she continued to pile on chores that needed to be done. If I could have said anything to her about it, it would have been to thank her. I needed to keep busy. I needed to have a distraction from my thoughts.<br/>
I continued my studies, quickly caught up with the other students and then surpassed them. When I wasn’t working, I studied. It was an endless cycle, but it filled my days. Exhaustion made it easier to sleep.<br/>
I rarely saw mother. Pacia reverted back to her old ways. Mother worked without complaint and never said an unkind word about Pacia. She even defended her on several occasions.<br/>
Master had developed some health issues and rarely left the gray place for the Senate chambers. Specialized healthcare workers were brought in specifically for his care and recovery. He wouldn’t leave his apartments for weeks and weeks at a time. Any communications, including meals, were handled by the specialized workers.<br/>
Mistress went to the Senate chambers on a daily basis, but Master would only appear for special votes. Rumor was he was significantly ill and might not recover. I wondered, if Master died, would Sheev come home for his pyre and service. I had a brief moment of happiness at the thought, but then chastised myself for even thinking such a thing.<br/>
Workers continued to come and go, but there was a core group which stayed indefinitely. My mother and I were two of those workers. Mother did not appear to be inclined to move on, and I was determined to stay until Sheev came home. I was chained to the gray place until he would come home and set me free, and hopefully take me, and Mother, away with him.<br/>
I had worked so much in the kitchen; I had become quite skilled. I was second in command to Katen, who was using me less for service, and more for food prep. I was proud of the progress of my culinary skills and was determined to make something of this opportunity. I enjoyed the blending of ingredients to make something unique. Katen had let me experiment with many recipes and several of the outcomes had been served at dinners and parties.<br/>
“Uh, hi. Hi. Hellllooooo, ” he snapped his fingers and waved his hand to get my attention.<br/>
“Yes?” I blinked a few times as I tried to switch focus from my recipe to the person in front of  me.<br/>
“Wow. Amazing powers of concentration,” he jested. When I didn’t respond in any way, he asked, “Hey, where might I find Katen?”<br/>
I looked around the kitchen but she wasn’t there. “Hey, no idea,” I replied and went back to my work.<br/>
“Hey, uh, what’s your name? You work here, right? Can I get come celtoks?”<br/>
I let out an exasperated sigh, tired of this intrusion, “What do you need celtoks for?”<br/>
“I work in the stables. I feed them to the fathiers. Hey, are you always this friendly?”<br/>
I almost smiled, “No.” But I went and found him some celtoks, hoping he would leave me alone. I had a lot of work that needed to be done.<br/>
“Well, thanks,” he said waving the celtoks around in the air before he left.<br/>
He came to the kitchen a few days later, he avoided Katen and came up directly to me. “Hey you, friendly girl!” he said loudly.<br/>
I regarded the boy before me, really scrutinized him. He was close to my age, with dark hair and almond shaped brown eyes. He was thin and not much taller than me. “Yes?” I asked.<br/>
“It would be easier if I knew your name,” he said.<br/>
“Katen 2,” I replied dryly.<br/>
“What?!” he appeared puzzled and then laughed, “Hey, you made a joke. You must be really pleased with yourself.”<br/>
I couldn’t help myself. I smiled. I hadn’t smiled in so long, the muscles in my face protested.<br/>
“My name is Laurem."<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
Assendia was a joke. The school only had five students, of which I was one. The tuition was exorbitant, and I couldn’t tell what they spent the money on. My suite of rooms was small and sparsely decorated, the food was not the quality I had grown accustomed to, and the professors were pedantic. The best thing was I didn’t have to share my rooms with anyone and I could at least be alone.<br/>
My first time away at school should have made me apprehensive, but I was confident. I had my abilities to help me, if I even needed to use them, which I didn't. Before I was friends with Laurem, I was used to being alone. I didn’t want, or need, to have people around me. I preferred my solitude.<br/>
The other students immediately sought me out to be my friend, but I understood just as quickly, they weren’t real friends. Not like Laurem. I would never have shared my secrets with them because someday, when we served on the senate together, they would use those secrets against me, exactly like my parents would do to their friends. Our collective parents served on the Senate together, so we were in the same social sphere, but they only wanted you for what you could possibly do for them. They weren’t really interested in me.<br/>
There were two girls and two boys: Twyn was a season older, but small, lean to the point of being skinny, and as mean spirited as Mistress. I thought I would never find her equal in anyone, but Twyn certainly proved me wrong. He was one of those people who looked as mean as he actually was. His constant expression was of someone tasting something foul or sour. Whenever he spoke with me, his eyes were sharp and narrowed, as if he were looking for any minutia, he could remember to use against me at a later date. I had to be on guard whenever we spoke, so I found his companionship exhausting and avoided him as much as possible.<br/>
Lycius was the same age as me. He was quiet and studious. He wasn’t annoying, not in the usual way, but he quietly manipulated the professors to earn their favor. He made sure the professors received accolades from the Senators, and the professors ate up the attention as if they were starving. If there was a student that did something wrong, no matter how small the infraction, you could bet Lycius was the one informing the professors in detail.<br/>
Enna was also the same age as me. She was attractive in a glossy, superficial way that required constant attention to maintain. She was more than willing to spend the hours and money it took to preserve her appearance. She might have been better off spending the time to study and improve her mind, because she was clearly lacking in intelligence. It was obvious she expected to use her appearance as her form of influence.Her tall, thin, blonde, paleness did nothing for me. I was drawn to petite brunettes.<br/>
Torvel was the most intriguing of all of my fellow students. She was bone thin, pale featured and forgettable. I mean entirely forgettable. It was as if she did everything she could to fade into the background. I admired her ability to disappear and realized the talent could be a valuable asset.<br/>
If there was anything I learned as the son of two Senators, it was every contact had value. For the most part, I despised the students that decided to befriend me, but I was also aware that at any point, they could be of service.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
Chan began to come to the kitchen a few times a week. He was fun to be around and I discovered how to smile again. It didn’t seem foreign to me to even laugh on occasion. Chan and I had quite a few things in common. We discovered we were almost the same age; his season day was the day before mine. We were both good students, and we began to compete against each other for the best grades.<br/>
I would occasionally meet him at the stables to help him care for the baby fathiers. I loved stroking their soft fur and looking into their sweet brown eyes. They were framed by these ridiculously long lashes, even the rambunctious males, so they all looked sweet and docile when they were just the opposite. They were playful little trouble makers. I liked to bring scrap celtoks to feed to the older fathiers. It was fun to watch them crunch and chew on the juicy stalks.<br/>
I couldn’t help but compare Chan with Sheev. Where Sheev had a darkness in him, Chan was all ease and friendliness. Where Sheev was blonde and blue eyed, Chan was dark hair and brown eyed, same as me. Where Sheev towered over me, Chan and I were practically eye to eye. Where Sheev would brood, Chan would joke. There couldn’t be two people less alike than Chan and Sheev. Chan came at the just the right time, turning his light on to my darkness. I missed Sheev desperately, but Chan was a welcome distraction from my heart ache. Sometimes I felt guilty for using his friendship, but I needed him. I needed him until the other half of my heart came back for me.<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
I had been at Assendia for over two seasons and I was ready for the next step. I didn’t need another two seasons here. My abilities made it easily possible for me to get people to do what I wanted them to do, when I wanted them to do it, not that I needed to rely on them.<br/>
I tolerated the other students well enough. I had wrested the top academic spot from Lycius, which infuriated him, so he had become a borderline enemy. I was careful to give him no ammunition to use against me with the professors.<br/>
Twyn attempted to get me to go along with some of his escapades, but I wasn’t interested. Twyn had developed a fixation on Enna, that was not reciprocated. The more she rejected him, the more he fixated on her. He was always wanting to get even with her for rejecting him, but stopped short of physical harm. Enna was oblivious to his machinations, and apparently to his fixation. I didn’t want to get involved in their relationship, or lack thereof, so I avoided contact with both.<br/>
I enjoyed the quiet of my quarters and sequestered myself there as much as possible. I didn’t mind my own company and I had plenty of work to keep me busy during the day. It was at night when I had the most trouble. At night, when everything was quiet, my thoughts went to Laurem.<br/>
I would stay awake for hours wondering what she was doing, and if she was thinking about me. She had her sixteenth season day and I hadn’t been there to celebrate with her. Did she long to see me as much as I wanted to see her? I wondered how much she had changed. I often imagined what she must look like now. I fantasized about our reunion. How she would run to me. How she would kiss me. The kiss changing from friendship to passion.<br/>
I continued to practice in secret, and my strength was growing with every passing day. My abilities went far beyond anything a normal Jedi could do, and even more than a Jedi Master. The more I practiced, the more I grew and matured, making me taller and my shoulders wider, than any of my fellow students and professors.<br/>
Tired and wanting to sleep, I reclined on my bed and stared at the ceiling. I clasped my hands together over my stomach, and took a deep breath, willing sleep to take me. I silently pleaded with myself to please take me to Laurem. Let me dream about her.<br/>
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and remembered back to Laurem’s season day dinner. How her dark hair flowed in soft waves over her shoulders, so soft it invited my touch. Her innocent glow. Her sweet smile. Her face, alight with excitement and a welcome only for me. I just needed to reach out and plunge my fingers into her shiny dark locks. I would pull her to me and press her lips to mine.<br/>
I sighed and stretched, physically and mentally. I concentrated only on Laurem, my love. I was ethereal; floating, euphoric, aroused. I licked my lips, anticipating the softness of her lips. My hands could almost feel the smoothness of the skin on her nape as I pulled her towards me. I opened my eyes to feast on her face, to search her eyes, but only looked upon a swirl of muted spinning colors. My mind snapped. The sensations gone. My ceiling came into focus.<br/>
I bolted out of bed, in a panic, gasping for breath. What was that? I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead with a shaking hand.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
“Laurem!” Katen cried, “Come girl! Come with me!”<br/>
I had never seen Katen in such a state. She was gesticulating wildly for me to follow her.<br/>
I frown and wiped my hands, quickly falling into step with her. I couldn’t even question why or where we were going, as Katen had outstripped me with her long stride. I had to trot to keep up with her. We wove through a maze of hallways until we came upon a room where dozens of white workers were crowding the doorway, peering inside.<br/>
They turned towards me, pitying looks on their faces, some pulled others out of the way, so I could enter. I couldn’t imagine what could have happened until I saw the medical units working on a figure lying on the floor. "Mother!"<br/>
Pacia was barking orders to the medical units, but she quickly moved to grab my arm and stop me from kneeling next to Mother.<br/>
“Let them finish their scans first. She’s conscious. She’s remaining still so they can make sure nothing is broken."<br/>
“I’m fine,” came a muffled voice from the floor, “They won’t let me up.” Mother complained.<br/>
The medical unit rolled back, then a robotic voice announced, “Female patient, with contusion and sprain of right ankle and contusion of right hip. Negative concussion. Ordering stretcher to take female patient for a period of inactivity and mental calm to extend for three days. Day four, the patient must report to the infirmary for manipulation and hydrotherapy.”<br/>
I let out a breath I hadn’t been aware I was holding. Other than some bumps and bruising, Mother was fine. I addressed Pacia, “Once I get her settled, then you and I need to talk.”<br/>
“Yes. We do,” Pacia nodded.<br/>
The crowd, realizing Mother was OK, began to disperse. Some had dropped by to merely gawk, but there were several that reached out to pat my shoulder or squeeze my hand before they left the room.<br/>
“Laurem, make sure Morda is comfortable. You can come back tomorrow, but only for light duty. You need to take care of your mother while she’s confined,” Katen said.<br/>
I nodded my thanks to Kate, my throat suddenly tight. I had known Mother was well liked, but it was gratifying to realize just how much.<br/>
“Can I get up now?” asked a muffled voice from the floor.<br/>
“No!” I shouted at the same time as Pacia. The medical unit also said, “Movement is unadvised.”<br/>
Pacia and I cleared the space of furniture to allow the units to reach her more easily with the stretcher. Mother couldn’t hide her grimace of pain as she was rolled over onto her back. The units deftly maneuvered her onto the stretcher and slowly made their way out of the room with their recalcitrant patient.<br/>
I nodded my thanks to Pacia and Katen for their help and followed the units.<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
We were in the throes of second term judgement; an intense week-long assessment that determined our standings within the program. Failure at this point, meant you were immediately expelled, which would be a massive embarrassment to you and your family. Competition for the top spot was fierce, the only person even close to me in marks was Lycius. My position, going into the testing, was quite high, and I was confident I would test well again.<br/>
I felt a whirlwind, so strong, my robes were sure to be whipping around, yet when I looked, nothing was moving at all. The “wind” continued to flow past me towards Lycius where a transmitter rose and hovered, suspended in the air, over his testing pod. The transmitter then plummeted to the floor, and rolled to a stop at the toe of professor’s foot. The professor picked it up, and realizing what it was, called a halt to all testing.<br/>
A transmitter was forbidden during testing, but it had risen and suspended as if someone, with the same sort of abilities as me, had known about it and exposed Lycius. He protested loudly, “That’s not mine!”<br/>
The professor shooed the rest of the students away from the classroom, and told us to go to our quarters and stay there until released. I tried to comprehend the events that occurred, but couldn't grasp the fact somone besides me had abilities. I wish Laurem was here. She had an instinct about people and their motivation. She could make sense of all this.<br/>
I threw myself on my bed and tucked my hands behind my head as I stared at the ceiling. I had searched through the Jedi texts in the Ascendia library, trying to find an explanation for what I had experienced the other night. I found a section that described a form of astral projection. The description was like what I had experienced before when I thought of Laurem.<br/>
I needed her. I wanted her. I closed my eyes and concentrated on her. When I opened my eyes, it was to that same swirl of colors. Instinctively, I reached towards the swirl and concentrated on focusing and sharpening the image. I searched my mental images of Laurem, her smile, her laugh.<br/>
The focus sharpened and I thought I might actually be seeing Laurem, sitting in her room. My concentration broke when I desperately tried to hold the image, and once again I snapped back to my room, frustrated and angry.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
Mother was resting comfortably. The medical units gave her a strong sedative, so strong, they informed me she would more than likely sleep the rest of the day, and possibly through to the next morning. I looked at her face again and she appeared to be in peace. Why had Mother climbed to clean something when it should have been handled by an RC unit? What had she been thinking?<br/>
I arranged cushions on the floor for sleeping tonight. I didn’t want to disturb Mother by crawling into bed with her. She needed rest to heal and I intended to make sure she got it.<br/>
I picked at the dinner Katen had sent to me. She also sent a bowl of soup for Mother, but my guess was it would go untouched tonight. I pushed my plate aside and stared off into space, lightly tapping my fingers on the table. I wished fervently that Sheev was here. I could talk to him about anything and he always made everything better simply by being there. I missed him so much.<br/>
I sensed someone watching me, but when I checked Mother, she was still sleeping. I saw a shimmer in the air not 3 meters away from the table.  It moved like waves of heat, but then it shifted into a shape or outline of a person. Whatever it was, I could clearly see the wall behind it. I jumped to my feet, not sure whether to scream, or run. I realized I couldn’t run. I couldn’t leave Mother alone and unprotected. Before I could decide what to do, the shimmer had vanished.<br/>
I sank onto the chair with shaking legs.<br/>
What. Just. Happened.<br/>
I looked back where the apparition had appeared but there was nothing unusual about the space. I  went over to the area where I had seen, whatever it was, and waved my arms around in the air. I couldn’t feel anything but air as it flowed over my flailing arms. I began to feel ridiculous.<br/>
I was about to sit back down when there was a light tap on the door. I was surprised to find Chan waiting in the hallway. I stepped out, quietly closing the door behind me.<br/>
“Hi, Chan.”<br/>
“Hi. How’s your mother doing?”<br/>
I wasn’t surprised Chan knew about her accident. There were few secrets in the gray place.<br/>
“She’s sleeping. The medical units gave her something to help her sleep and she hasn’t moved. They said she should sleep through the night.”<br/>
Chan held out a package, “My father was a healer on our home planet. He created this treatment and wrote the instructions out for you. This will help her, I promise.”<br/>
I took the package and clutched it to my chest, “It was thoughtful of him. Will you thank him for me?”<br/>
“Of course. You know, both mother and father think highly of Morda and would do anything within their power to help her. Is there anything I can do for you? Would you like me to bring you something for dinner? I could sit with you, if you like.”<br/>
I reached out and gave his forearm a quick squeeze, “Thank you. Katen sent a tray for Mother and me. I thought I would just go to bed early in case Mother wakes up in the night and needs me.”<br/>
“Well, good night then.”<br/>
“Say Chan?”<br/>
“Yeah?"<br/>
“Have you had any strange drafts in your room?” I couldn’t think of any other way to describe what I had seen.<br/>
“Drafts? No. Why?” Chan appeared puzzled.<br/>
“Oh, it was nothing. I'll just put on another blanket,” I replied with a smile, “Good night.” He nodded and with a wave went down the hall to his rooms.<br/>
I checked and nothing was amiss. Mother was still sleeping, there were no strange drafts. Everything was as it should be. I shook my head and put it down to being both tired and worried. I started to pull my hair down to get ready for bed.<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
We were assembled into a cramped classroom listening to Dean Bermen reiterate the rules of testing and the goals of the school programs, as if we all didn’t already understand they frowned upon cheating. He paced back and forth with his hands clasped behind his back, droning on and on. The other students were as bored and checked out as I was.<br/>
A scuffle outside the meeting room had all eyes moving to the door. An angry Lycius burst into the room, looking purposeful. He eyed us all angrily, his chest heaving. He advanced towards me, “You!” he shouted, pointing two fingers towards my chest, "You already had the top scores! Why did you do it?”<br/>
“Do what?” I responded calmly.<br/>
“Don’t play innocent! I know it was you. You used the transmitter to make it seem I was cheating!” Lycius shouted, his fists clenched, ready for battle. He looked around the room, and noticing everyone was staring at him, shouted, “Did you all hear me? I did NOT cheat!”<br/>
Lycius brought his accusing gaze back to me, “How did you do it?”<br/>
“I didn’t do anything,” I replied, staring him directly in the eye, daring him to accuse me again. I didn’t have to cheat. Nor had I framed Lycius. I actually needed his competition, because it forced me to work harder, and distracted me from missing Laurem.<br/>
Lycius became pensive, “You…if not you.” He trailed off. He glanced pointedly at Enna, and then back to me. His mouth flattened as his expression turned grim. Lycius turned on his heel, and left. I looked over at Enna, but she just shrugged and focused her attention back to Dean Bermen.<br/>
The Dean, however, followed Lycius out into the hallway where we could hear a heated discussion. After giving the situation some thought, I realized the administration likely hadn’t sent Lycius home immediately because he was the son of an influential Senator. An angry student expounding his innocence would definitely be a delicate situation for the administration to handle.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
Mother had been attending her hydrotherapy sessions at the infirmary for over a week and was healing nicely. The medical units said she could report to her regular duties next week. Her healing had been seriously helped along by the poultice Chan’s father had made for her. I had applied the poultice one night, and the next morning, the bruising was nearly gone.<br/>
As a thank you, I decided to make the Chan family a special dinner. I went outside to search for Chan to ask him if any particular day worked better for his family. His mother and father kept relatively normal work hours, whereas Chan worked more erratic shifts. It made sense to check Chan's schedule first.<br/>
It was a pleasant day for Coruscant standards, relatively sunny, but still breezy from all of the transport traffic whizzing above and in between the buildings. I discovered Chan in the middle of a narrow brown field surrounded by a group of baby fathiers. They were following him around and he was holding something away from them. They were bumping into him playfully and he was laughing and yelling at them to stay back.<br/>
I jogged the rest of the way over to Chan. The fathiers, initially startled by my appearance, scattered away from us, then swarmed back towards me, sniffing me curiously, and nipping gently at my robes.<br/>
“Hey,” I exclaimed, “Stop that!” I pulled the material out of the mouth of what had to be the cutest baby fathier I had ever seen, and discovered it had left a dirty, wet mouth smudge on my clean white robe. I looked up at Chan in disgust, but he just laughed.<br/>
“Now you see what I have to deal with!” he laughed. “When you are in the kitchen, living it up around all of the delicious food, I am out here earning my keep.” He gently nudged one of the more inquisitive fathiers back with his hip.<br/>
“What are you doing, anyway? What do you have in your hands?”<br/>
Chan was standing with his clasped hands held high and the fathiers were trying desperately to get to whatever he was holding. One of the boldest, was jumping up, pawing the air, trying desperately to knock Chan over. Chan was doing comical evasion movements, with the occasional hip bump, to keep on his feet.<br/>
“I started bringing pod drones out to exercise these little guys. They get so excited now when I have them, they act like little savages.” He released the pods he was holding, and they floated up into the air, spinning and dipping; taunting the young fathiers. The fathiers bleated with excitement, bumping into each other, rearing and pawing the empty air as the pods zipped slightly out of reach.<br/>
“Oh!” I exclaimed, and then started to laugh, “Look at how excited they are! How are you moving the pods?”<br/>
“I preprogrammed them. I have the controller in my pocket. The pods stay within a certain distance of me. If I move; the pods move. "Come on!” Chan shouted, grabbed my hand, and pulled me in to a run.<br/>
When we took off, the pods flew with us. The fathiers followed from behind, and although small, were excellent runners, so quickly overtook us. They would whirl around and run enthusiastically back to us, then would take off and chase the pods again.<br/>
“Let’s run to the small rise and then run back here,” Chan said, not even winded. It was so dry in the field; our merry party had kicked up quite a bit of dust. My robes were already dirty with fathier slobber, but now were going to be dusty as well.<br/>
“Okay,” I gasped, already out of breath. When we got to the top of the rise, Chan laughed and used our clasped hands to spin me around until I was facing the other way. I was starting to get tired, not having run in a long while, so the momentum toward the other direction was appreciated.<br/>
I noticed a wavering in the dust some distance ahead. The wavering was exactly the same as the one I saw in my room, “Chan. Hey, do you see that?”<br/>
“See what?”<br/>
“Straight ahead. Over there! Do you see a shimmer in the field?”<br/>
“I don’t see anything Laurem,” Chan replied. We started to slow our progress until we came to a stop. I pushed a butting fathier away from me.<br/>
“There! Do you see it now?” I pointed to a spot in the field a short distance away. As I pointed, a swirl of color spun and wavered.<br/>
“Are you doing this?” I gasped at Chan. The colors slowly moved into the shape and outline of a person. They swirled, stilled, sharpened and suddenly Sheev was standing before me.<br/>
“Sheev!” I released Chan’s hand, and with renewed energy, sprinted towards where he was stood.<br/>
I ran with as much speed as I could muster. My cheeks stretched into a deliriously happy smile. I stopped a few meters away. Sheev wasn't smiling or moving towards me. I met his unblinking stare with a quizzical expression of my own. Why was he just standing there?<br/>
“Sheev?” I slowly approached him; my hand outstretched to touch his face.<br/>
At that moment, Chan, panting from the exertion it took to catch up to me, placed the heavy weight of his arm on my shoulders, “Laurem, are you OK? What is the matter? What are you pointing at?”<br/>
Chan peered at me with concern, but my eyes were solely for Sheev. My focus did not waver from him as I was jostled and pushed by the fathiers as they continued their pursuit of the drones.<br/>
Sheev’s stare shifted from Chan to me. His lips tightened and his nostrils flared. He turned and disappeared.<br/>
"Wait! Sheev! Come back!" I cried, "Please, come back!"<br/>
Chan was looking at me strangely, “Laurem? Who is Sheev?”<br/>
I could hardly formulate a coherent reply to Chan. All I could see was Sheev’s face. The bereft feelings I had shored up, all came flooding back and I was drowning.<br/>
“Sheev’s my…friend. He was standing right there.” I flung my hand towards the area where I had seen the apparition of him. I brought the same shaking hand to rub my forehead in an attempt to soothe my suddenly aching head.<br/>
Chan glanced at the spot I had indicated, and shrugged, “I didn’t see anyone.” His forehead wrinkled with concern, but he didn’t say anything more.<br/>
“Um, I’m going…back inside," I could feel Chan's eyes boring into my back as I went back to work.<br/>
</p><p>MOTHER<br/>
I reclined into the dryers, and turned on the vents. I closed my eyes on a sigh, luxuriating in the soothing warmth as it flowed over me, drying my robes and my body. I’d made it through another grueling hydrotherapy session, but I had to admit it was slowly soothing the deep ache in my hip. And despite the ceaseless rest, I was still exhausted.<br/>
When the medical droids read off my diagnosis, all of the symptoms I had been experiencing lately finally made sense. The last several months, I had attributed it all to long work hours and lack of sleep. The day I blacked out and fell, I realized it might be something more.<br/>
Thankfully the medical units hadn’t found it on their initial scan, especially considering how many people had been there, including Laurem. When they ran the comprehensive scan prior to therapy, it confirmed what I already instinctively knew. The medical units were researching new therapies to hopefully lengthen the time I have left, and they wanted to start those once my hydrotherapy sessions were complete.<br/>
I didn’t have any plans to tell Laurem, at least not for a while. How exactly do you start that conversation? How do you tell the person you love more than life itself that you are dying? Worry and guilt nearly crushes me. How could I die and leave her all alone?<br/>
I shut off the air dryer and step out, completely dry and toasty warm. I wanted to stay longer, but the thought of taking a nap had suddenly become considerably appealing.<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
I connected with Laurem. She saw me. She ran right to me. I think she called my name, but I couldn't hear her. She was incandescent with happiness. She had been running with someone I had never seen before. They had been holding hands and laughing. Her happiness hadn't been from seeing me, it was from being with someone else.<br/>
I sat up and gripped the edge of my bed. I was glad she was happy, wasn't I? I wanted her to be happy, but I wanted her to be happy with ME. She was my girl. She promised to always love me. She promised to wait for me. How could she betray me? She was mine!
I shot to my feet. I wanted to hit something. I was helpless; stuck here and unable to keep her from that guy, when she should be with me.<br/>
I couldn’t contain the surge of anger, nor did I want to. It was raw; forceful. My body felt like it was swelling; pulsing. I didn’t fear the loss of control. I relished it. I owned it. It built, higher and stronger, like a raging fire. The air crackled with bright blue bursts of energy that emerged, not just from my fingertips, but from all over my body. I could smell the ozone as the light danced and swirled around me, creating a wind that rushed around the room, picking up my belongings and tossing them aside. I heard something shatter and the noise was so gratifying. I reached out with my rage, hoping to hear it again, and again.<br/>
Body spent, my anger began to abate, with despair taking its place. She didn’t want me anymore. She hadn’t missed me, like I had missed her. I hung my head in misery. I kicked at the remnants of my belongings on the floor. If it could break, then it was more than likely broken. I picked up the commlink and ordered a domestic droid to service my room. At least a droid wouldn't ask me what was wrong.<br/>
I didn’t want to completely let go of my anger. I still wanted to use it. I wanted to hurt someone although I knew I shouldn't. Not yet.<br/>
I opened the door for the domestic droid. It was close to meal time. I usually ate alone in my room, but dinner service would have to be delivered, and until my room was cleared, it wouldn’t do for staff to come inside. I sauntered to the dining hall to get out of the droid's way.<br/>
I grabbed a tray and picked through the reconstituted swill Assendia considered food. Torvel and Enna were eating together at a table in the back of the dining hall. I sat as far from them as possible, hunched over my tray and tried to work up an appetite. I couldn’t stop glowering. I certainly didn’t want to talk with Enna or Torvel. I didn’t even think they were friends, but they must have tolerated each other enough to take their meals together. I didn’t know, and I didn’t care.<br/>
I didn’t want to think about Laurem, but I couldn’t help but replay the scene in my head. I didn’t recognize the guy, so he must have been hired after I left. Did she love him more than she loved me? Had she forgotten about me?<br/>
I felt an annoying tickle on the skin of my nape, and an insistent buzzing grew in my ears. I pushed the tray away, suddenly feeling as if I could cry. The buzzing resumed and pictures flashed in my mind; tormenting the white workers, the sting of a slap from Mistress, hiding in the green place while I cried, happy times with Laurem, how she looked when she opened the door for her season day dinner.<br/>
Someone was in my head, pushing through my memories and reading my thoughts. How dare they invade my private thoughts and memories? I pushed back hard, with more force than I had ever used before and tasted the sweetness of retaliation.<br/>
I barely registered the screaming when it started behind me. The power, the push was so satisfying, I pushed again, even harder than before. The screaming reached a climax and then all was silent.<br/>
I turned to discover Enna slumped over her table, clutching her head. Torvel must have jumped up in a hurry, because her chair was tipped over onto the floor and she was standing over Enna, her chest heaving. Torvel shifted her gaze to me, and I could see the ‘what the hell just happened’ question in her eyes.<br/>
Lycius must have somehow known Enna had abilities. His glance at her before he left, explained so much. I should appear concerned, even though I wasn't. She had only gotten what she deserved, but I had to keep up appearances.<br/>
“What happened?” I asked a stunned Torvel, who just shrugged.<br/>
I walked around the table, lightly touched Enna’s back and asked with false concern, “Are you OK? What’s wrong?”<br/>
Enna didn’t respond. She kept clutching her head, and then slowly started to rock back and forth in her chair. A nauseatingly slow string of drool fell from her mouth and dropped onto the table.<br/>
“Llll-aaaaa-uuuu,” Enna toned, unable to form a coherent word.<br/>
I removed my hand from her back and took a step back, hopefully giving the appearance of being sufficiently horrified. It was all I could do to not laugh. I had rendered her dumb and speechless.<br/>
I jerked my gaze up to Torvel and asked accusingly, “What happened here? What did you do?”<br/>
Torvel, her arms wrapped around her waist, switched her scrutiny from Enna to me and shrugged again, “I didn’t do anything. I have no idea what happened. We were sitting here eating and she started to scream and grab her head.”<br/>
I went to the wall and pressed the room commlink, “Dean Berman and medical units to the dining hall.”<br/>
I tried unobtrusively to reach out and connect with Enna. She was in the throes of a complete mental shut down. With Lycius out of the way, she had been looking for her next victim. She had been looking for a weakness in my psyche, attempting to get information so she could manipulate me. I had no sympathy for her.<br/>
“Lllaaaaa-aaaauuuu!” Enna began to shout angrily, “Lllllaaaaa-aaaauuuu!” She began to rock more forcefully. The dishes of food on the table began to shake, the utensils rattling as they bounced up and down. The plates snapped spontaneously, as the shaking intensified. The table remained still and unmoving. Torvel’s expression changed from shock, to alarm, to comprehension.<br/>
Torvel stepped back, her eyes wide with fear, “She has…abilities.”<br/>
The medical units rolled into the dining hall. Torvel and I stepped aside to grant them access to Enna, who’s rocking and shouting had become progressively louder and angrier. The medical units acted quickly; sedating her and moving her onto a stretcher.<br/>
“Commencing scan,” the units said as they stretchered their patient to the infirmary. Dean Berman followed her progress with hands clasped behind his back and a worried expression on his face. He was going to have to explain the unexplainable to Enna’s parents.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
The seasons of my life had flown by, in a whirl of work and lessons, but I had never stopped missing Sheev. I had accepted his absence. I had stopped dwelling on it. Chan’s friendship had been a welcome distraction, when I really needed it. It just wasn’t fair! I had been waiting. Patiently. I had worked and plodded ahead. Why did I have this stupid vision to stir everything up again? Now, the pain and longing from missing him had started all over again.<br/>
I plunged my hand into my robe pocket, stoking the kyber crystal with my thumb, loving the feel of the cool, smooth stone in my hand. I whispered a message to Sheev, wishing the stone had the power to send my thoughts and wishes to him.<br/>
I made my way to the green place, loving the beauty and peacefulness of the space. It was not off limits to workers, but, because it was close to the Palpatine apartments, most workers avoided the area. Since Master's illness, he rarely left his apartments, and Mistress spent most of her time at the Senate chambers. I was free to enjoy the quiet I craved. I needed the chance to think and reflect. I wrapped my arms around my waist and slowly strolled around the uppermost level.<br/>
I crawled onto a low flat stone. Resting my hands on my knees, I released my breath on a sigh, and focused on relaxing my neck and shoulders. I relished the quiet, well, as quiet as it could be with the continuous hum of transport traffic overhead. I wondered what it would be like to be somewhere completely silent, like a place in the countryside, where it truly was green. I reached into my pocket and brought out my crystal again, turning it over and over in my hand.<br/>
“Woah,” Chan exclaimed, “is that a kyber crystal?”<br/>
I jumped, not realizing Chan had joined me in the green place. I shot my gaze up to him and nodded, not wanting to break my silence. Chan, I realized dryly, had no such qualms.<br/>
“Let me see it,” he demanded, reaching his hand out to me.<br/>
I eyed his outstretched hand. I wasn’t happy with this intrusion, but Chan and his family had done so much for Mother, I dug my nails into my palms to punish myself for wishing him away. I didn’t want anyone else touching the stone. Chan was like a child when it came to things like this. He wouldn’t understand why, if I refused to let him see it, and it was too difficult to explain why I would refuse. I reluctantly gave in and passed the stone to him.<br/>
He inspected the crystal, turning it this way and that, then shifted his gaze to me, “It’s a pretty unusual color. How did you get one? Aren’t they rare? Was this your dad’s?”<br/>
I didn’t want to tell him the story behind it, so I merely nodded.<br/>
“Wow. Your dad must have been so cool. A pilot in the solar wars. I want to be a pilot. Someday. I was going ask Mistress if the Senate would be willing to send me for training.”<br/>
Leave it to Chan, I thought, to not be afraid to ask Mistress for a favor. Not one of the other workers would even consider speaking to her, let alone ask for anything. Mistress liked having people indebted to her, and it was a dangerous position to be in. I hoped Chan understood.<br/>
“If I get assigned, would you come with me?”<br/>
“What?” I asked, as Chan placed the stone in my outstretched palm.<br/>
“If they send me for flight training, would you come with me?”br /&gt;
I had a sinking sensation in my stomach and realized with alarm I didn’t want Chan to leave. Selfishly, I wanted him to stay with me until Sheev came home. I truly enjoyed Chan’s company, even if he was annoying sometimes. He was easy to be around. He was the brother I never had, but had always wanted. I shook my head, “I couldn’t leave mother.”<br/>
“She can come, too,” Chan said earnestly. “I should be able to make enough to bring my parents, as well. We can all be together.”<br/>
“Oh Chan, I couldn’t ask you to do that,”  touched by his offer.<br/>
“You didn’t ask. I offered,” then he added, “Your mom could use a break from this place.”<br/>
“You’re right,” I responded wistfully. I stood up and gave Chan a hug, “Thank you.”<br/>
Chan looked pleased, but I couldn’t help but warn, “Are you sure you want to be indebted to Mistress? Who knows that she will expect of you in return?”<br/>
“Yeah, but I want out of here, so I think it'll be worth it.”<br/>
Would it though? Would it be worth it?<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
The medical units never could determine what happened to Enna. They recommended she return home for further review and comprehensive treatment. Now, with only three students left, the administration and professors agreed to accelerate our pathway to graduation. We were to complete our studies within the next half season, and then return to our home planets to apprentice with retired Senators.<br/>
I was overjoyed when I heard the decision. One step closer to freedom! I hated this school and had endured it long enough. I wouldn’t be back in Coruscant, but at least I would be on Naboo and in my own home.<br/>
I stretched my legs out in front of me as I relaxed in the lounge room. It was the most luxurious area within the school, with richly upholstered couches and plush carpets. It was always well maintained because it was as far as the parents were allowed in the school. They were never allowed into the student suites because of fostering “adjustment and independence” according to the staff. In reality, it was because the student furnishings were sparse, or in extreme disrepair, and the administration didn’t want the parents to discover the state of their living conditions. Money was being made at this institution, and someone else had to be enjoying the benefits.<br/>
Since I would soon be returning to Naboo soon, I would require additional staff. There was only a skeleton staff who remained behind to maintain the home, and I would need something more than maintenance. I laughed to myself. I was kidding myself if I wasn’t thinking about bringing Laurem to Naboo. I wanted her as my own personal cook. I liked the idea of her waiting on me, kneeling before me, and even begging my forgiveness.<br/>
I sat forward on the couch with my elbows resting on my knees. I cradled my head in my hands and closed my eyes. I couldn’t get the image, of the strange guy coming up and putting his arm around Laurem’s shoulders, out of my head. I had been miserable here. I missed her every day. It was a struggle to get through every day without her. And she had been happy with someone else the entire time I’d been gone.<br/>
I began to plan. I wanted revenge. I wanted her to be as unhappy as I had been. I stretched back again, sticking my feet out and tucking my hands behind my head and smiled. Yes. I finally had something to look forward to.</p><p>MOTHER<br/>
I put down the polishing cloth, wiped my hands, and swiftly made my way to answer Pacia's summons.<br/>
Pacia familiar voice called for me to enter. I slipped into her office and quickly closed the door behind me, before I greeted her, “Hello, Pacia. You wanted to speak with me?”<br/>
“Come and sit Morda. I don’t want you to tax yourself. How are you feeling today?” she asked, gesturing to the cushioned chair opposite her desk.<br/>
Pacia was calm and smiling. I visibly relaxed. If something was wrong, I would have been able to detect it on her face. She could never keep anything from me. Relieved, I sat on the offered chair, and stretched my feet out in front of me, “Today is a good day.”<br/>
Pacia nodded, “Good. I’m glad to hear it. How are the therapy sessions going?”<br/>
"I have been having more good days lately, than bad, but I don’t know if it is because of the therapy sessions, or the lighter workload.”<br/>
Pacia offered, “Maybe both.”<br/>
“Yes,” I agreed with a chuckle, “maybe both.”<br/>
Pacia laughed, “Morda relax! I wanted to discuss with you a temporary relocation request I received for some staff. Laurem was on the request.”<br/>
“Laurem?” I couldn’t help but exclaim. “Where would she go? What would she be doing?”<br/>
“It would be a temporary assignment to the Palpatine estate on Naboo. She would fill the same position Katen has here. The kitchen there are smaller, but it would be a good experience for her to run them by herself, plus she would actually earn a small salary. If she proves competent, then she might be able to find employment elsewhere.”<br/>
“Naboo! So far away? Do you have an idea for how long…?”   paused, considering, then wondered, "Wait. Who is she going to be running the kitchen for?"<br/>
“Sheev was the one who made the staffing requests. He requested a short-term staff of two people, Laurem and one other, to complement the staff already there. Another person was requested to arrive immediately to prepare for his arrival and program the household droids. The other two will go on a later transport.”<br/>
“Laurem will be so glad to see Sheev again. Have you told her yet?”<br/>
“No. I wanted to talk with you first. This assignment, well, it might be for several months, maybe an entire season. I didn’t want to agree without discussing it with you…,” Pacia stopped, uncertain how to proceed.<br/>
“In case my health took a turn for worse,” I finished for her.<br/>
Pacia nodded, her eyes filled. She reached both hands across the desk and I put mine hands in hers as she continued, “Yes, but I'll be here. I understand I'm a poor substitute for Laurem, but I'm here for whatever you might need.”<br/>
I swallowed, determined not to be maudlin, “Pacia, thank you for talking with me before mentioning it to Laurem, but you can talk with her. I wish I could see her face when you tell her. I think she’ll be happy to take the position.”<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
“No. Absolutely not. I will not leave Mother! I know Mother isn’t well. She won’t tell me, but I can SEE it. Sheev will just have to understand." I was about to make another comment when someone knocked on the office door.<br/>
Pacia gave me an apologetic smile, “Come in.”<br/>
The door slid open and just as quickly slid shut. Mother stood, her back pressed to the door, smiling widely, “Did you tell her yet?”<br/>
Honestly, I should have known Pacia would tell Mother first. After Mother’s fall, I found out how nice Pacia really was, and what a good friend she had been to Mother. It had been a shocking discovery. Everyone thought Pacia had been constantly taking Mother aside to reprimand her, when they had actually been in her office eating lunch and enjoying each other’s company. I learned a valuable lesson that day. Not everything is as it seems, and I was ashamed by how much I had despised Pacia.<br/>
Mother walked around the desk and rested her hand on Pacia’s shoulder. They smiled at each other before Mother turned her attention to me, “Well?”<br/>
“Well, what?”<br/>
“When are you leaving?”<br/>
“I’m not.”<br/>
“You are! This is a wonderful opportunity for you. You'll get a salary and a chance to run your own kitchen. And you will get to see Sheev!” Mother cried.<br/>
Pacia’s head was swiveling from me to Mother and back to me. She held up a hand to stop us both, “Why don’t I step out for a minute so you can discuss this.”  She walked around the desk, but paused by my chair, “You didn’t ask for my opinion, but I think you should take the assignment. It’s a good opportunity and it is temporary.” Pacia squeezed my shoulder as she leaned over and whispered in my ear, “And I promise to watch over your Mother while you’re gone.”<br/>
As the door shut behind Pacia, Mother pulled the recently vacated chair away from the desk and sat down gingerly. The sleeves of her robe slid down to her forearms, exposing wrists so thin and delicate, the bones so fragile the slightest pressure would cause the bones to snap. I had noticed how thin and weak she was growing, and it worried me. I also noticed Pacia was giving her lighter chores, tasks she was able to perform while sitting down. Her health was declining before my eyes. I couldn’t lose my mother. I wasn’t going anywhere.<br/>
Mother grimaced, and then sighed. “Yes, I’m sick, but I've been taking therapy every week and it’s been helping. I have been feeling better. I want you to accept this assignment. I’ll miss you Laurem, more than you can ever imagine, but I want you to go. This is an important opportunity for you, and I want you to take it. I need you to take it.”<br/>
I looked at the woman who had worked so hard to give me a better life. A woman who made me a doll from rags, just so I would have a toy to play with. The woman I knew went hungry, so I would have another bite to eat. And even now, her thoughts and hopes were for me, and not for herself. I struggled to speak. I forced words past the lump in my throat, “I don’t want to lose you.”<br/>
Mother pushed herself up from the chair and came around to stand in front of me, “We all have our own destiny to fulfill.” She reached down for my hands and tugged on them so I would stand, too. She enfolded me in her arms and spoke directly into my ear. “You need to run, not walk, to your destiny. You have stood still for too long. Go. Pacia will contact you, if you need to come home. Go.”<br/>
Mother pulled back and I nodded my acquiescence, then pulled her back into the hug, “Promise me. Promise me you will be here when I return.”<br/>
“I promise.”<br/>
</p><p>MOTHER<br/>
Laurem was a blur as she whirled around the room grabbing things to take with her to Naboo. She had packed her few robes she could wear outside of work, work robes, she was informed, would be waiting for her when she arrived on Naboo. It was one less thing she had to worry about bringing.<br/>
I picked up her old ragdoll Shmi and sat on the bed to get out of Laurem’s way. “Don’t forget to pack your night robes,” I suggested.<br/>
“Got them,” Laurem replied.<br/>
“Hair combs? Cloth ties? Recipes?” I asked.<br/>
“Got them,” Laurem replied. She glanced over at me and smiled, “Hey, you’re holding Shmi.”<br/>
“Yep,” I replied holding Shmi up and moving her from side to side so she appeared to be dancing. “Are you going to take her with you?”<br/>
“Absolutely not! I am leaving her here with strict instructions to watch over you.”<br/>
“Shmi reporting for duty,” I said in a funny voice, trying not to move my lips so it appeared Shmi was talking.<br/>
Laurem laughed, “I’m glad she is taking her job seriously.”<br/>
“Of course! Shmi would never shirk her duties.”<br/>
Laurem placed a splayed hand over her stomach, “What does it feel like to be on a transport?”<br/>
I shrugged, “When you lift off, you get the sensation you are floating, but then once you jump to lightspeed, you are back to normal and the trip is almost over. This isn’t your first trip on a transport, you know.”<br/>
“It won’t be?”<br/>
“Your father flew us to Coruscant many years ago. You were quite young. Do you remember any of the trip?”<br/>
Laurem shook her head and said quietly, “I don't really remember Father.”<br/>
I sighed, “That’s my fault. I stopped talking about him because it hurt so much. It was my duty to keep his memory alive for you.”<br/>
And then, I told her as many things as I could remember about my life with Agan. Laurem crawled on the bed with me, taking Shmi and sitting the doll on her lap. I realized for the first time, talking about Agan had given me comfort, not despair.<br/>
Laurem flopped back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling with a dreamy smile on her face, “I wish I had known him. He sounds amazing.”<br/>
“He was,” I agreed. “He was the love of my life. Our time together may have been short, but it was special. He left behind one of the best parts of him. He gave me you. I see him in your eyes every day. My hope is you will find someone who is that special to you." I smiled, then added, "Now, you have an early morning, and I have to work tomorrow, so we'd better go to bed or we'll be worthless tomorrow.”<br/>
I thought Laurem might be too excited to sleep, but as I was thinking this, she yawned and said, “I guess I'm tired after all.” She leaned over and kissed me on the forehead, “Good night Mother. I love you.”<br/>
I breathed in the scent that was my child’s alone, “Good night, Laurem. I love you more.”<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
I opened one eye. It had to be the middle of the night, but I was too excited to sleep anymore. I didn't want to disturb Mother with my tossing and turning, so I got out of bed, not certain what to do at this time of the morning.<br/>
I sat at our table and scrubbed my hands over my face as I considered what I could do until the transport was ready for me. I was completely packed....Oh, no! I had forgotten to tell Chan I was reassigned. I moved to get dressed but stopped. It was way too early for anyone to be up and working. I sighed; It was going to be a long day.<br/>
I ended up going to the kitchen. There wasn’t anyone there, but I puttered around until Katen showed up.<br/>
“You’re here early,” Katen said, “I thought you were leaving today.”<br/>
“I couldn’t sleep. I guess I'm too excited.”<br/>
Katen smiled, “I’m going to miss you around here.”<br/>
“I’m going to miss you, too. I wanted to thank you for all you’ve taught me. I wouldn’t be able to take this step without you.”<br/>
“Oh, go on now! You soaked everything up like a sponge. You just take care of yourself and keep that boy out of trouble,” Katen surprised me with a quick hug.<br/>
Walking through the maze of drab hallways, to the stables, I knew I wouldn’t miss the color gray at all. Not one bit. When I had a home of my own, there wouldn’t be a speck of gray anywhere in sight. And when I imagined my little fantasy home, I pictured Sheev sharing it with me.<br/>
Chan was busily brushing down one of the fathiers. “You’re up early!” I called to him.<br/>
He turned around and smiled, “I guess I’m not the only one. What brings you out here so early?”<br/>
“You do.”<br/>
“Me? Oh no, don’t blame me if you couldn’t sleep."<br/>
“I couldn’t sleep, because I am excited. I came to say goodbye.”<br/>
“Goodbye?” Chan asked as he fumbled and dropped the brush onto the ground. “What do you mean goodbye?”<br/>
“I have a temporary reassignment to Naboo. I hope to see you and your parents when I return.”<br/>
"Is your mother coming with you?"<br/>
When I shook my head, he continued, “I didn’t think you wanted to leave your mother. You said so when I asked you to come with me for pilot training.”<br/>
“I didn’t make this decision lightly, or on my own. Mother wants me to go.”<br/>
“I can’t believe this!” he asked, “When do you go?”<br/>
“My transport leaves this morning.”<br/>
“What? When did you decide to make this move?”<br/>
“Yesterday,” I replied, “I would have told you earlier, but I had to pack and get ready to go”<br/>
“Yeah, I guess so.” He stared down at his feet and rubbed the back of his neck, “I thought we’d have more time to, you know, talk.”<br/>
“My assignment is temporary. Mother has promised to call me if she needs me.”<br/>
“So, it’s not really goodbye. It’s more like see you later?” Chan asked hopefully.<br/>
I nodded and threw my arms around Chan to give him a quick hug, “Yes, it is a 'see you later'. Please, tell your parents goodbye for me.”<br/>
I released Chan, but he didn't let me go. He focused on my mouth and licked his lips. My brain screamed no, no, no. I awkwardly pushed out of his embrace.<br/>
“Be safe,” I turned my face away, realizing I had hurt him, and not wanting to see the hurt in his eyes.<br/>
“You, too,” he finally replied. I could feel the touch of his gaze on my back as I walked away.<br/>
Mother and Pacia were waiting for me in our room.<br/>
“I was wondering where you had gone,” admonished Mother. “We don’t have much time before we have to get you to the platform.”<br/>
“I know. I’m sorry. I had forgotten to say goodbye to Chan.”<br/>
Pacia and Mother shared a knowing glance. “How did he take it?” asked Mother.<br/>
“He was a little upset,” I shrugged sheepishly, “But with everything I needed to do to get ready to go, it completely slipped my mind to tell him.”<br/>
I grabbed my satchel and flung it over my shoulder. Pacia had gotten a hover cart to take the rest of my belongs to the platform. I took one last look at the room that had been my home for many seasons. “I’m ready.”<br/>
Mother and Pacia were chatted cheerfully the entire trip to the platform. Once there, I put my satchel on the hover cart and a droid loaded it into the ship. It was a smallish transport, but it was only taking me and one other passenger, who turned out to be the pilot.<br/>
I turned to Pacia and Mother, “Well, I guess this is goodbye, for now.”<br/>
“Laurem before you know it, you'll be back with us,” Pacia said, then surprised me by pulling me into a big hug. She released me and squeezed my arms reassuringly, “Don’t worry. I'll take care of your Mother while you’re gone. I promise.”<br/>
Pacia stepped aside and I turned to Mother, who was smiling and crying at the same time. “This is going to be harder than I thought."<br/>
I was only able to nod in response, straining with the effort of swallowing around the growing lump in my throat. Mother reached for me and folded me into her arms. “Why am I always surprised when I hug you? I see you every day. I know you have grown into a beautiful young woman, yet when I see you in my mind, you are still my little Laurem. When I gather you in my arms, I expect to be able to wrap my arms around you twice like I did when you were little.”<br/>
Mother pulled back. Her eyes roamed over my face, memorizing every feature.  “I love you. I’m proud of you. Your father would have been proud of you, too.”<br/>
I pulled Mother back into my arms and hugged her close, careful of her delicate frame, “I love you, too! I’m going to miss you so much.”<br/>
“Go now,” Mother said, gently pulling back and giving me a kiss on my forehead. “Be safe.” Mother and Pacia linked arms and waved as I walked up the ramp. I waved back and cried, “Bye, love you! Be safe!” Mother and Pacia shouted wishes of safe travels until the ramp closed.<br/>
I looked around the interior of the transport and was suprised by the sterile cleanliness. Light colored couches lined the walls, but two separate chairs with high backs and soft, plump cushions, beckoned. I had just settled into one of the chairs, when a man walked in from the pilot compartment.<br/>
“Hello, I’m Maxx. I’ll be your pilot to Naboo. We'll be taking off soon. There are no droids on board for service, because it should be an easy jump.”<br/>
“Hi Maxx, I’m Laurem. Jump?”<br/>
“To light speed,” he replied.<br/>
“Oh, of course,” I swallowed, nervously.<br/>
Maxx rapped the wall of the transport twice with his knuckles. “Well, if you don’t have any questions for me, then I think we should get going.”<br/>
Maxx went into the cockpit, and within seconds, the engines roared to life, and my stomach dropped to the floor. Oh my! The floor behenath my feet was vibrating. My palms started to sweat, and I gripped the arms of the chair so hard my knuckles turned white. The ship lifted off its moorings and began to hover above the platform. The vibrations ceased and in a single moment I was almost floating. The ship accelerated, and then like Mother had said, it was no different than sitting on a chair in my room.<br/>
I relaxed, sinking into the soft cushions of my chair, and soon fell into a sound sleep. I was certain I had just closed my eyes, when I was roused by a hand shaking my shoulder, “Laurem, wake up. We’re here.”<br/>
I blinked and looked around, confused and groggy. Apparently, I had slept through my entire first, no second, transport trip. Maxx was lowering the ramp and the droids were ready with hover carts to take our belongings to our rooms. I followed Maxx down the ramp taking in my surroundings with sleep interest. We had arrived at night, so I would have to get used to the difference in time.<br/>
A shiny silver household droid met us at the bottom of the ramp. “Maxx Tyver. Laurem Kalcar. I am CR30. Please follow me.”<br/>
I hadn’t known we would be arriving in the middle of the night. I had imagined my reunion with Sheev at the transport dock and in daylight hours. I was disappointed I would have to wait until morning to see him.<br/>
The household droid stopped by Maxx’s quarters before taking me to mine. The droid informed me when I should start in the kitchen in just a few hours. It was a good thing I slept on the transport.<br/>
My belongings had been placed in my room, which was quite small, even smaller than the one I had shared with Mother. I would worry about unpacking during my free time tomorrow. I shoved the bags to the side and got ready for bed. The sooner I went to sleep, the sooner I would get to see Sheev.<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
CR30 informed me Maxx and Laurem had arrived late last night and had been shown to their rooms. Laurem had been instructed to report for work early the next morning. Poor thing was going to be tired, not only from so little sleep overnight, but from the work week I had planned for her. Well, she was young. She would get over it. I smiled and sank back onto my pillows. I think I should sleep a little more. This had the potential to be exhausting.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
It could NOT be morning already. I stood up and stretched, willing myself to wake up. I searched through the drawers and found robes, which I shook out and held up in dismay. Gray! And they were huge! I would have to wear a set of my own robes until I was able to get them sized to fit.<br/>
I took particular care with my hair, winding it into an intricate braid. I wanted to impress Sheev and appear somewhat mature. I was so excited my fingers were clumsy and I had to pull out the braid several times to redo it to make it smooth. If I didn’t pull myself together, then I would be late.<br/>
With a final twist of my hair, I pinned it into place. I stood back and eyed myself critically. I had put on one of my favorite personal robes which was an unusual pinky orange color. Mother thought the color was like a soft sunset and complimented my skin tone. I thought I looked the best that I could under the circumstances and hoped it was enough to entice Sheev.<br/>
I went to the kitchen and to my horror found a complete disaster. I was informed by a droid that several of the waitstaff were sick and unable to work. The larder was woefully under stocked. Whoever did the prep work yesterday must have just dropped everything and left, including soiled cookware. I tsked and rolled up my sleeves. It was going to be a busy day.<br/>
Thankfully, the household here was a minute fraction of the size of the gray place. In comparison, I was able to clean the entire kitchen, plus manage the morning meal for the workers with incredibly little effort. We easily had enough items in the larder to cover both the breakfast and lunch meals for the workers and Sheev. The evening meal would be the greater challenge, but if I didn't replenish supplies immediately, then everyone would go hungry.<br/>
I hoped the last kitchen manager left behind a listing of suppliers, then I might be able to order what I needed today, and have everything delivered by tomorrow morning. I needed one day, just one day, and the kitchen stock should be in good shape. I would discuss the menus with Sheev when I set up his breakfast board this morning. I would review his preferences and arrange his meals to his taste. I did remember what many of his favorites were, but his tastes might have changed since then.<br/>
CR30 informed me Sheev expected his morning meals in his suite. I walked behind the hover cart, nervously wiping my hands on my robes. The moment I had been waiting for, yearning for, was finally going to happen. I wasn’t sure how to act. Would it be OK to approach him and give him a hug?.<br/>
I knocked on the door and was bade to enter. I followed the hover cart into the room to see Sheev busy with piles of paperwork at his desk. I couldn’t stop the huge grin that creased my face upon seeing him.<br/>
He didn’t look up right away, or at all, or even greet me, which I thought was strange given our past relationship, but I quickly set up his breakfast board while unobtrusively observing this older, more mature Sheev.<br/>
He had only gotten more handsome over the seasons away. His blonde hair was darker and longer, falling in softwaves around his face and chin. Any lingering softness was gone from his cheeks, exposing sharp cheekbones and a chiseled jaw. His lips, while firmed in a line of concentration, were the only thing to soften his face, his lower lip was slightly fuller, giving him a little bit of a pout. My heart softened as I took him in. I had missed him so much.<br/>
“Sheev?” I asked quietly, hating to disturb him, but wanting to see his eyes; his beautiful blue eyes.<br/>
His head came up and he looked in my general direction, but he appeared to be distracted or lost in thought because he did not actually focus on me. He just sat there, still as a statue, not smiling or greeting me. I couldn’t stand the prolonged silence.<br/>
“Hello, Sheev. I’m sorry to bother you when you’re busy, but I wanted to go over the menus with you. I wanted to know if your food preferences are still the same?” I smiled hesitantly and pulled out my note screen with the menus I had put together. I had to remind myself to breathe normally or I was going to pass out, and tried to still the shaking of my hand holding the screen. I forced myself to relax. This was Sheev. My Sheev. My friend. I didn’t need to be nervous.<br/>
“I have a small dinner party planned for this evening. An intimate affair with only nine guests attending, in addition to myself,” Sheev responded as if addressing a stranger. He refused to meet my gaze, reaching down, he moved some papers around on his desk, as if busily searching for something, and not willing to acknowledge me further.<br/>
A dinner party? What was I supposed to feed them? There was nothing in the larder!<br/>
“I-I” I stuttered and swallowed hard.<br/>
“Yes?” Sheev snapped, sounding less than patient with the interruption. Had I changed more than I thought? I looked down at myself as if to see where I had changed the most; to see myself as he was seeing me. I had grown curves, but they had been a delicate softening and rounding, nothing dramatic, like I had hoped for. No, there was no way I hadn’t changed so much he wouldn’t be able to recognize me. He had requested me specifically, so what was he up to?<br/>
I walked up to the desk and stuck my hand out to Sheev, “Hi. I’m Laurem Kalcar. I’m not sure if you remember me?”<br/>
Sheev stared at the hand I had extended for a little while, then shifted his gaze up, “I need at least three courses for the meal, plus dessert. The other staff has become ill, so you will have to enlist CR30’s aid in serving. Is that going to be a problem?”<br/>
I dropped my hand and with pursed lips, stared Sheev in the eye, “No. No problem.”<br/>
“Good,” he pushed back from his desk and went over to the board. I watched him pick through the dishes, “This is all cold. Take it back. Bring me something fresh and hot.”<br/>
“Yes, of course,” I replied. I was trying desperately to keep my voice steady. There had been no recognition from him at all, not even to my name. I narrowed my eyes. It had been a while, but we had been in each other’s company nearly every day for many seasons, even if it had been several seasons in the past. He knew me. Was he making a point that I was just a servant?<br/>
I loaded up the hover cart and with a last angry glance over my shoulder, left to head back to the kitchen. If he thought I would deliver his breakfast a second time, then he was sadly mistaken. I would have CR30 bring the cart down. I had to perform magic to make food appear out of thin air for his dinner party, plus prep it, and serve it all by myself. At least I would be busy the rest of the day and wouldn’t have time to dwell on Sheev and whatever game he was playing. I stomped back to the kitchen hoping I had the ability to perform wonders.<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
I stumbled into my desk chair. When she walked into the room, it was like the room was lighter, the colors were brighter, the air was sweeter. Her glow, that glow of goodness which has always drawn me to her, was so bright it burned her visage onto my eyes. everywhere I looked, I could still see nothing but her.<br/>
She was still petite, but she had grown soft curves I couldn’t fail to notice. She was a natural beauty, not needing the falseness of face paint. I had ordered robes I was sure would be too large for her, and in a drab gray color I knew she would detest. I had been so taken aback by her beauty, and being close to her again, I had forgotten to chastise her for not being appropriately robed as a worker of the household. Those robes she wore fit her figure perfectly and enhanced her coloring.<br/>
Well, I had set her up to fail. I only had to deal with her nearness for a couple of days. Then I would return her to her boyfriend and move on with my life. My chest burned with jealousy and my resolve was renewed when I remembered how she had discarded me so easily. I wouldn’t let her get under my skin again.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
I stood back and admired my handiwork with a grin. Not only would I be serving the requested three course meal, and dessert, but it was so delicious it was almost a work of art. It had been a challenge to learn the best supply contacts because there were no contacts left on file, and even more of a challenge to entice them to agree to a rush delivery. But after a few grumbles and complaints, I had finally given in to their request for an additional delivery fee. It had been worth it to see the delicious dishes I had prepared.<br/>
In addition to the challenge of creating the meal, I had to double as the wait staff for the evening. I wouldn’t have time to change my robes, so my personal robes would have to do. I did manage time for a quick fitting today, so I should have dismal gray robes for work tomorrow morning.<br/>
I stepped to the pantry and unwound my hair from its braid to freshen my appearance. I shook my long locks out and finger combed the length the best I was able without a hairbrush. I pinned it back and pulled the length over one shoulder. I sighed. I was trying so hard to be efficient and mature, but every step forward I made, I had to take one step back. I smoothed my robes and retightened my belt.<br/>
As I stepped out of the pantry, CR30 announced Master Sheev was ready to be served the first course. Thankfully the party was small enough I could handle the service myself. I loaded up the hover cart and followed CR30 to the dining hall.<br/>
Everyone in the party had been seated in the formal refectory which I had set up earlier in the day. I quickly supplied drinks and appetizers to the guests, which I checked out as covertly as I could. Most of the attendees were male, but there were a few females present, and of course, they were all beyond beautiful and elegantly dressed. One woman, with dark hair and an exquisite robe, was seated next to Sheev, and listening to him with rapt attention, her hand resting on his arm. I pushed my jealousy aside as I busily filled plates and glasses. I was pleased by the raving comments I overheard about the food.<br/>
I ran back to refill the hover cart with the second course. It was a dish I had personally developed for our many dinner parties, which had always been well received by Mistress’s guests, so I hoped it would be appreciated here as well.<br/>
I was proudly serving the second course, when a hot hand cupped my bottom. I tried to unobtrusively step to the side and out of the man’s reach, which only caused him to chuckle. I ignored him when what I really wanted to do was hit him on the head with his plate. He wasn’t the first guest who assumed he had privileges with the staff.<br/>
I had only a few plates yet to serve, when CR30 tilted, then stumbled, and crashed into the hover cart, causing the remaining plates to slide to the floor. My mouth thinned in frustration. Now what?<br/>
“Oh, I am so sorry,” CR30 said embarrassed, “I don’t understand what came over me. I am so, so sorry.”<br/>
I sighed and quickly righted the hover cart and picked up the dishes from the floor. I had CR30 call for a sanibot to clean the floor so no one slipped. I had about four guests with no second course. The man, who had touched me quipped, “It’s too bad you can’t have a bite Sheev. It’s delicious.”<br/>
The man raised an eyebrow and eyed me with a smirk. He thought he was so clever. It took every ounce of self-control to not roll my eyes.<br/>
The lovely woman had sat next to Sheev, leaned over to whisper something in his ear, to which he smiled. She reached over, squeezed his forearm, but left her hand resting there. Inwardly I seethed.<br/>
I caught Sheev’s eye, and raised my eyebrow. Sheev had caused CR30’s loss of balance, but I couldn’t accuse him in front of his guests. I warned him with a glance; we would be discussing this later. I hadn’t forgotten how he used to plague workers at the gray place with his tricks. They hadn’t known about his abilities and thought he had brought them bad luck. But I knew what he was capable of doing. CR30, like all household droids, had balance mechanisms built into his programming and he shouldn’t ever stumble.<br/>
I took the soiled dishes and food back to the kitchen and threw them on the counter. I had enough left over for this course, barely, for the few extra plates. They would have much smaller portions, but at least they would have something. I hurried back to deliver the dishes.<br/>
I had little time to dwell on the mishap. Upon my return, there were completed dishes to remove, glasses to fill, and the next course to be delivered.<br/>
The creepy guy brushed my back side again and pinched me. I jumped and moved away; my cheeks heated with embarrassment. I was almost throwing his food and drink at him before moving on to serve the next person.<br/>
I ran back for the dessert course, but first poured myself a tall glass of water and gulped it down. It was refreshing, but I needed to hurry. I pushed my sleeves up and quickly loaded the dessert plates onto the cart.<br/>
I had made my favorite; a sweet, soft dough which melted on your tongue. It had been my first sweet treat when I had moved to the gray place. Sheev had gotten an entire plate of them for me for my second season day at the gray place. I had learned how to make them, and had gotten so good at whipping them up, I could almost make them blindfolded. I knew Sheev liked them, too.<br/>
I sighed with relief when I delivered the last drink and the last dessert. It had been an incredibly long, and emotional, day. I decided to save the clean-up for the morning. Hopefully, by then, the other staff would be recovered and would report to work.<br/>
I cleared the dessert dishes and was thrilled when I overheard one of the guests tell Sheev he was going to steal his cook from him. He patted his stomach and declared it was the best meal he’d eaten in quite some time. The woman next to Sheev, pursed her lips in a pout and complained about the clumsiness of the help, causing her serving to be so small. Sheev leaned in to say something into her ear, and I had to turn away from her satisfied smile.<br/>
I trudged to the kitchen, unloaded the dishes, and stored the hover cart. I blew an errant piece of hair out of my eyes, and arched my back, trying to stretch my sore muscles. It would be a relief when I could finally bathe and crawl into bed. I decided to make one last trek to the dining hall to discretely see if Sheev needed anything further from me. I was hoping not, because I was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to fall into bed.<br/>
I stopped abruptly in the hallway, as the awful man who pinched me, was indolently leaning on the wall just outside of the dining hall. The hairs stood up on the back of my neck when he aimed a smarmy smile in my direction.<br/>
“I was looking for you,” he sauntered over, so close his hot breath fanned over my face. I turned my head in disgust. “Are you done for the evening? Would you like a little company?” He rubbed his hand up and down my arm, as his eyes roved over my body. I shivered in disgust and moved my arm out of his reach.<br/>
“Excuse me.”<br/>
I moved to go around him, but he blocked me and clasped my arm.<br/>
“Where are you off to in such a hurry?”<br/>
I was considering my options to make him release me. Pretend to drop something and headbutt his chest on the way down? Stomp on his foot and claim it was an accident? Try to turn away from him and throw my elbow into his stomach? All the while, issuing insincere apologies.<br/>
While I was considering my move, the man leaned down and stuck his nose into my neck and sniffed. Eww. He couldn’t have repulsed me more if he tried. I tried to pull my arm away from his grasp, but now he tightened his grip to the point where it was painful. It was time to employ the elbow, but I would give him one more chance to release me.<br/>
“Please, let me go.” I requested evenly letting the 'or else' hover unsaid. I had met his type before. He was a bully who enjoyed watching a woman struggle. He wanted me to plead with him. He wanted to be able to control me.<br/>
“Yes, let her go,” a voice behind him said. Relief washed over me.<br/>
The man let go of me, reluctantly. I kept my head averted from both men, but before I could ask if I was needed any more tonight, Sheev said flatly, “Go.”<br/>
Gladly.<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
I had made sure the larder was empty, giving much of the food away to the poor. I had given the kitchen staff strict instructions to NOT report for work. The dinner party was a last-minute stroke of genius. I had even given CR30 the push so several of the dishes would be destroyed. I had given Lauren no end of obstacles. I had hoped to rage at her for her incompetency and send her home in disgrace. Yet somehow, she had managed to put together one of the best meals I had ever eaten, with food she must have conjured out of thin air. The only problem was there hadn’t been enough of it, because I made CR30 dump it onto the floor. I was still hungry and it was my own fault.<br/>
When I caught Weims in the hallway, attempting to molest her, I almost lost my temper, but I knew he was a creep when I invited him. I was hoping she would dump a dish on his head or have a display of temper when he grabbed her, so it would give me another reason to admonish her, especially if she had made a scene. But she did her best to keep her distance and maneuvered around him, if not with ease, with a deftness and a coolness which belied her youth. Did she have to deal with men like him at the gray place? The thought made me instantly furious. She was still so impossibly small. If any male forced himself on her, she would be helpless to fight him off.<br/>
Inspiration struck and I used the commlink to call for CR30. “Notify Laurem I am hungry and want another meal delivered to my suite.”<br/>
I smiled and put on my sleep robes. I reclined in my bed and waited, with a smug smile, for my food to be delivered.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
I arranged the food on the hover cart and resisted the urge to spit in it. I had just fallen asleep, cozily tucked into my nice soft bed, when CR30 woke me with Sheev’s request for more food. Sheev was doing this on purpose and I had yet to figure out why.<br/>
I followed the hover cart down the hallway, shuffling and yawning. I hadn’t even bothered to change out of my sleep robes. My hair, braided in my usual loose braid for sleep, hung down my back. If he wanted me to feed him in the middle of the night, then he would have to overlook my appearance.<br/>
I knocked softly and the door slid open for me. I didn’t see him in his outer rooms, “Hello?”<br/>
“In here,” Sheev called.<br/>
He wanted me to serve him in his sleeping room? I maneuvered the cart through his suite, and there he was, sitting up, tucked into bed in his sleep robes. He was smugly proud of concocting this little scenario. I was seriously angry with him, but he was so darned cute with the adorably proud look on his face. I wanted to hit him, kiss him, then hit him again.<br/>
It hadn’t crossed my mind he would want to eat in his bed, so I hadn’t brought the tray for it. Well, since he obviously wanted me to wait on him hand and foot, then I would. I made a big show of shaking out a large napkin which I spread over his lap.<br/>
“What are you doing? Where’s my tray?” he asked with a frown.<br/>
“In the kitchen,” I perched on the edge of his bed, “Are you ready?”<br/>
Using my hands to pick up a sweet from the hover cart, I held it to his lips, resisting the urge to smash it into his face. He grabbed my wrist to still my hand, “What are you doing?”<br/>
“Why…I am feeding you. You said you were hungry.”<br/>
Sheev, saw the ‘I dare you to complain’ look in my eyes, and with his hand still wrapped around my wrist, lead my hand to his mouth. His eyes burned into mine, I take your dare and I challenge you with one of my own. He took a bite of the sweet, sinking his teeth into the soft dough. I almost groaned aloud when he licked his lips, “Delicious.”<br/>
He released my arm and it fell as if weighted onto the bed, still gripping the half-eaten sweet. My eyes drank in his handsome face. I was burning alive under his watchful gaze. I wanted to get up and run away. I wanted to scream at him in frustration. I wanted to crawl into his arms. I wanted him to acknowledge he remembered me. I wanted him to actually say my name. I wanted him to touch me. I wanted…him.<br/>
I hated to admit defeat, but I broke first and looked away. This wasn’t a game to me. I needed some distance from him. He grabbed my arm as I was moving off the bed, “Stay.”<br/>
He said it softly. It wasn’t an order; it was a plea.<br/>
I gazed into his beautiful blue eyes and nodded, a little angry with myself that I was so easily persuaded by him, but nothing had changed for me. I would never deny him anything.<br/>
“Read to me?” he asked, handing me a book from his bed side table. I handed him the plate of sweets, and he took over feeding himself. Adjusting the cart to get it out of the way, I pulled a cushioned chair closer to the bed, curled up, and started reading. I was distracted by him; my thoughts were riveted on his every breath and movement. I droned on in a monotone voice, broken by the occasional yawn.<br/>
Sheev’s breathing became even, and I realized he had fallen asleep. His face, in repose, was so like the boy I remembered. My breath caught. I loved this boy, who was now a full grown, beautiful and complex man. I had never stopped loving him. No matter what he had done, or why he had done it, I still loved him.<br/>
I quietly put the book on the table, removed the dishes and napkin and pulled the blanket higher on his chest. I brushed his hair from his forehead and pressed a soft kiss to his brow. I whispered in his ear, “Sleep sweet, Sheev.”<br/>
As soundlessly as possible, I moved the cart, and powered his systems down for sleep.</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
I had closed my eyes and let the sound of Laurem’s voice pour over me. She was exhausted, the tiredness evident in the tone of her voice. I was torn between wanting to hurt her, and wanting to protect her, and if I was completely honest with myself, wanting to kiss her lips, to see if they were as soft as they looked.<br/>
When she sat down on the bed, looking disheveled in her sleep robes, defiantly feeding me; I wanted to grab her, and kiss her senseless. How would she have reacted if I had kissed her after the way I’ve treated her since she arrived? If she was the Laurem I remembered, then she probably would have fed me the plate.<br/>
I was trying not to chuckle, when she stopped reading and got up to leave. I considered sitting up and demand she continue reading, but decided I had put her through enough for one day, so I pretended to be asleep.  It was a shock to feel her soft kiss and to hear her voice so close in my ear. I had forgotten about her goodness, and I was ashamed.<br/>
I sensed, rather than saw the lights dim. I rolled onto my side and forced myself to really fall sleep.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
“Ummmm,” I stretched, then curled up again and pulled the pillow more snugly under my chin. This bed was like sleeping in a soft cloud. A slow dawn of realization made me set up quickly.<br/>
I shouted, “Time!”<br/>
When I was informed of exactly how late it was; I tore out of bed in a rush. I moved as if I had grown multiple arms, brushing my hair and teeth, braiding my hair and dressing all at the same time. I flew towards the kitchen, stopping just short, so I walked sedately into the area. Sheev finally had something to reprimand me about.<br/>
The kitchen was a beehive of activity. The dishes from last night had all been washed and put away. The kitchen was sparkling clean and the lunchtime meal prep was underway.<br/>
Two pairs of curious eyes focused on me and much of the activity ceased. The older woman was the first to move, picking up a towel, she wiped her hands, and went to a girl who appeared to be about five years younger than me. She took the girl’s hand, walked over and greeted me with a tentative smile, “Hello. I’m Heckla, and this is my daughter Becia.”<br/>
I smiled warmly in return, “I’m Laurem. I’m sorry I’m late. I was kept up rather late last night and I must have overslept.”<br/>
Heckla inclined her head, “We were informed by Master Sheev you would be coming in later.”<br/>
She called to an old man who was deftly polishing a pot, “Mady, come meet Laurem.”<br/>
“What?” the old man asked, focusing completely on his work.<br/>
Heckla smiled and said, “Sorry, he’s a great worker, but he doesn’t hear very well. Follow me.”<br/>
We walked over to the man, and he finally looked up, “Who is she?” he asked waving his polishing cloth at me.<br/>
“I’m Laurem.”<br/>
“What?”<br/>
I smiled, pointed to myself, and replied loudly, “Laurem!”<br/>
He frowned, “You don’t have to yell!” He resumed his polishing, grumbling something about being treated like he was deaf.<br/>
Heckle laughed heartily, “Welcome to Naboo.”<br/>
I smiled. It was a better start to the morning than I had been expecting.<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
It might have been a mistake, but I ordered my lunch meal to be delivered by Laurem. I wanted to see her. I needed to see her. I might have been too hasty in my judgement of her, but I needed to be convinced. I wanted to be convinced, and that concerned me. It made me vulnerable. But then, if there was one person who was incapable of deception, it was Laurem; at least the Laurem I remembered.<br/>
Laurem should be serving me soon, and I was hungry again. If I insisted, would she feed me from her hand again? The thought of licking her fingers made a rush of heat pour through me. I jumped up from my seat and paced nervously. I had better put those thoughts aside or I would be no better than Weims. The thought of mimicking his motion of sliding my hand down her back to cup the curve of her buttocks made me both angry, because I should have removed Weims hand from his arm, and aroused.<br/>
I paced the room as if caged. I must find something to focus on, review some of the work dropped off this morning by courier, then perhaps, this evening…no. I would not hope. Hope had disappointed me far too often. It was a dangerous emotion.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
The hover cart was loaded with dishes for Sheev’s midday meal. The man sure had an appetite. I shivered when I recalled how he had clutched my wrist and carried my hand holding to sweet to his lips. I needed to quell those thoughts. It wouldn’t do to walk in, serve him his lunch, and then me with it. Not yet anyway, I thought, with a smile. Not until I found out why he was behaving like a jerk.<br/>
The door slid open after my brief knock. I was dismayed to see that it was a repeat of yesterday. Sheev was sitting at his desk again, a pile of paperwork strewn all over his desk in a chaotic way. I schooled myself to try and remain professional; to be above reproach, but my thoughts were scattered much like the papers on his desk.<br/>
I worked quietly to set up his meal. I glanced at Sheev, but he had yet to acknowledge my presence. I moved to the hover cart, ready to leave when he said, “Stay.”<br/>
I put a hand on my hip, and glared at him.<br/>
“Please.” He walked to the table and held out a chair for me.<br/>
“Thank you,” I smiled slightly, hopeful.<br/>
He pulled out the chair across from mine, picked up his napkin and shook it out, “Still not eating much, Laurem?”<br/>
My eyes roved over his face, gauging his expression, when I breathed, “You finally said my name.”<br/>
His shoulders slumped as he sat back in his chair, eyes focused on his plate. Without glancing at me, he picked up his utensils and began eating. His large hands easily handled the delicate eating instruments and I wondered, almost aloud, at how large he had grown. Although he had been always been bigger than me, I had never felt eclipsed by him. If anything, I had felt protected and safe whenever I was around him. He had never used his size against me, and I knew instinctively that even now, he would never hurt me, at least not physically. My heart, however, had been wounded by his treatment of me since I arrived, but I was determined to discover the cause.<br/>
“How did you like Ascendia?”<br/>
He shrugged, “It was okay.”<br/>
“Are you going to come back to Coruscant?”<br/>
He shrugged again, “Maybe.”<br/>
I sighed. He wasn’t making this easy. Inspiration struck, “I must warn you I have a magic stone. It makes you tell me everything. It forces you to talk.”<br/>
I pulled the blue kyber crystal out of my pocket and placed it in the center of the table. “Now you will tell me everything I want to know,” I gave him a smug smile as I crossed my arms over my chest.<br/>
Sheev sat back, fixed me with an odd expression and chewed thoughtfully. He swallowed, “I think the magic stone has power over you as well.”<br/>
I nodded, “Possibly. But I have to be asked a question for it to work.”<br/>
“Okay, how is Morda?”<br/>
My face fell. I had been so busy since I arrived, I had thought only of myself, my duties, and of course, Sheev. With that one question, it brought Mother and my worries about her, to the forefront of my mind and an instant ache to my heart. I wasn’t sure where to begin, so started with, “She’s not well.”<br/>
“What?” he froze.<br/>
“I initially refused the position here, because I didn’t want to leave her. She fell at work one day. She said it was her ‘own clumsy fault’ but I knew better. I had seen with my own eyes something was wrong. She started going to therapy after her fall, and it helped, but only a little. She was becoming more frail with each passing day.” I fidgeted in my chair, tears swimming in my eyes when I finally looked up, “She confessed before I left that she’s dying.”<br/>
Sheev stared back at me, his face impassive. What was he thinking? He finally said, “I’m sorry. She was always kind to me. What changed your mind?”<br/>
“About coming here?”<br/>
“Yes.”<br/>
“Mother. Well, Pacia thought it was a good opportunity for me, and Mother knew I wanted to see you again. I still refused. I thought at some point you had to come back to Coruscant. And when you did, then I would be there, as you asked me to be. But Mother was adamant I come to Naboo. She said…” I trailed off. I didn’t think Sheev wanted to be called my destiny after the way he had been treating me. “So, here I am.”<br/>
“Are you sure you wanted to stay behind only for your mother?”<br/>
“Yes.”<br/>
“Are you positive? You haven’t left anyone else behind?”<br/>
I was puzzled by the tightness in his voice. His anger assaulted me, as if it were a tangible force. The stone on the table began to shake. My body froze into place. I wasn’t able to move. I was barely able to draw a breath. My eyes focused on Sheev in a panic as he leaned closer toward me, peering deeply into my eyes as if he was trying to see into my very soul.<br/>
I gasped, trying to take a deep breath, “Wh-what are you doing?”<br/>
“Taking what I want.”<br/>
“What do you want?”<br/>
Pictures flashed and blurred my vision, a spinning of memories, my memories, unbidden by me, a blurred vision of lights and colors, spinning and spinning. I wanted to scream, I would have, but I was still frozen, scarcely able to draw a breath. “Stop! Stop! You’re making me sick!” I managed to plead in little more than a whisper.<br/>
He finally released me. I slumped forward, gasping to fill my lungs. I gripped the table until I thought my fingers would snap. I closed my eyes; willing the dizziness and nausea away. I was thankful to have been sitting. I doubted my quaking legs would have been able to hold me upright.<br/>
“What did you do?” I snapped, even more incensed when my voice sounded breathy and weak. How dare he use his abilities on me! I opened my eyes and sucked in another deep breath and repeated more forcefully, “What did you do?”<br/>
“Who is Chan?”<br/>
“What?”<br/>
“Who. Is. Chan?” Sheev snarled.<br/>
“He’s a boy who works at the gray place,” I replied with snarl of my own.<br/>
“I saw you with him."<br/>
“What?” I bit out. I would not be intimidated by him.<br/>
“I saw you with him!” he shouted, as he burst out of his chair, towering over me.<br/>
“There is NO way you would have seen me with him because he didn’t get to the gray place until long after you had left. You know nothing about him and obviously you know NOTHING about me!”<br/>
I jumped up, just as angry, and was determined he would not intimidate me. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him. Wait. He saw me with him. I thought I'd seen Sheev one day in the field, but Chan hadn’t seen anything, so I thought it was my imagination playing tricks on me. He couldn’t have…could he? br /&gt;
“Was that you in the field? Chan said he didn’t see anything, so I let him convince me I was seeing things. Were you there?”<br/>
“Yes, I was there.”<br/>
"But how...?" I went around the table to face him. So close, I realized again the difference in our heights. I craned my neck and peered up at him, determined to not flinch from his angry glare.<br/>
“Describe to me what you think you saw.”<br/>
“I saw you holding hands and running.”<br/>
“What else?”<br/>
“I saw him put his arm around you.”<br/>
“Umm-hmm. What else?”<br/>
Sheev swallowed, “You were smiling and laughing. You were happy.”<br/>
“One of Chan’s responsibilities is to take care of the fathiers. That day, he had programmed some drones for the baby fathiers. The drones followed the controller he had in his pocket. He grabbed my hand and pulled me into a run with the baby fathiers swarming around us,” I added. “Do you remember how we used to play with them?”<br/>
“Yes.”<br/>
“It was always fun to play with them. I was smiling and laughing because the fathiers were trying to jump on me and knock me over. They're adorable. Just checking, was I not supposed to smile or laugh the entire time you were gone?”<br/>
Sheev did not respond, so I added, “Chan was pulling me by the hand because I wasn’t able to keep up with him.”<br/>
I reached up and cradled his face in my hands. He tried to jerk his face out of my grasp but I held firm.  “You have no idea how much I had hoped you had finally come back to me. Did you see how I released his hand and ran to you? Did you see? And no, don’t do it again,” I said, putting a stalling hand on his chest.<br/>
“I saw him come up to you and put his arm around your shoulders,” he accused.<br/>
“Only because he thought something was wrong with me. He thought I was seeing things because He couldn’t see YOU.".<br/>
Sheev wrapped his hand around my wrist, but did not pull my hand away from his chest, “I’m not sure I believe you. You didn’t look like you were missing me. You were happy.”<br/>
“Oh Sheev, I was as happy as possible at the time. Trust me when I say a huge part of me was missing you; waiting for you. My life has been on hold for so many seasons. You’d gone on to this other life, meeting people, learning, doing interesting things. I had begun to believe you were never coming back. And then there you were in the field. You turned away and disappeared. I thought I might be going mad.”<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
I listened to Laurem as she launched into the story of her friendship with Chan. She was wrong when she said I would like him. He sounded annoying to me. I would bet all I have Chan was in love with her. How could he not be?  She radiated goodness, and with her laughing brown eyes, shiny dark hair and satiny tan skin, she was the everything a person might want. This little wisp of a woman had the power to bring me to my knees and crush me.<br/>
“You’re right,” I lied when she finished. “I would like him.”<br/>
Laurem grinned, “Told you.” She paused, then tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at me, “So, did your dastardly plan fail?”<br/>
“What are you talking about?”<br/>
“Oh, hmm, let me think. The empty larder, the sick employees, the dinner party, CR30’s sudden issues with balance.”<br/>
“Hmm. I still don’t know what you're talking about.”<br/>
Laurem smiled at me, “Sure you don’t. Right.”<br/>
Laurem gave me a playful push, but I caught her and, pulling her towards me, propelling us both into my chair while simultaneously pulling Laurem onto my lap. I was nearly knocked off balance by the rush of heat, but I held back, keeping my touch light and friendly.<br/>
“Shall we call a truce?” I suggested.<br/>
“Yes. Yes, I think we should,” Laurem agreed. She slid her hands down my chest and around my waist, squeezing me in a gentle hug. I wrapped my arms around her as well, pulling her closer to me, relishing the warmth of her finally in my arms.<br/>
“Truce?”<br/>
“Truce,” I affirmed.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
Can a person die from happiness?<br/>
Since our truce, we have been have been spending as much time together as possible. We were slowly getting to know one another again. He told me about his time on Assendia and I told him about my time at the gray place.<br/>
He surprised me when he changed the rober colors for everyone, getting a soft blue, my favorite color. He said he hated gray, too, and if he was to see me so much, then it was his decision to change the color. I loved the change, so he had no arguments from me.<br/>
Sheev showed me all around Naboo. When I had made the wish to be somewhere truly peaceful and quiet, I had no idea it would come true. Naboo was all that and more, with rolling green fields as far as the eye could see. Sheev took me to see waterfalls, fields of flowers, and a picturesque bubbling brook almost completely hidden amongst the greenery.<br/>
Sheev would hold my hand every time we were alone, as if always needing a physical connection with me. Sometimes he would play with my fingers, or measure the length of my fingers next to his. I loved the warmth and smoothness of his palms pressed against mine.<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
Laurem was and is the best thing in my life. The only good thing in my life. I love to touch her whenever she’s near, so I can watch her glow flow over her skin and envelope me. My darkness isn't gone, only hiding from her light. I have no secrets from Laurem, and she must see my encroaching darkness, but she is either bravely confronting it or denying it exists. I don't know which one and I'm afraid to ask.<br/>
I have taken her with me on some of my apprenticeship missions, so I have been able to show her Naboo, with its fresh air and green space. She is so inquisitive and interested in so many things. She would make the perfect Senator’s wife. We hadn’t taken any steps beyond friendship, but I am certain we will, at some point. We are simply taking our time to be comfortable with one another again.<br/>
I was touched when I found she had carried the blue kyber crystal in her pocket every day. She said she would hold it in her hand, rub it with her thumb, and think of me. She said she had hoped the crystal would send her whispered messages to me. I wish it had worked. I wished we had spoken to one another every day. I wished she had gone to school with me. I would do anything now, to keep her with me. I never wanted to be separated from her ever again.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
My heart was racing and my palms were sweating. Something was wrong! My breath came in panicked gasps. I could feel it. I needed to find Sheev. I needed to find him immediately.<br/>
I searched for him down every hallway of the gray place, his office, the kitchen, my room, but I couldn’t find him. I ran back to his bedroom, then to the dining hall. I went outside and called his name, but he didn’t answer. I spun around and began my search over again. I must have missed him. Surely, I just missed him! We must have passed one another, but dread pressed upon me. He’s gone, the voices whispered in my ear. You will never see him again. He’s gone. He’s gone.<br/>
I sat straight up in bed, calling for him, “Sheev!”<br/>
My hands were shaking when I called out, “Lights!” and my room was illuminated. Knowing it had all been a dream, did not soothe me. I wrapped my arms around my body, chilled by the cold sheen of sweat that covered me.<br/>
Dread from my dream was invading my conscious self, sending shivers down my spine. I had to be certain Sheev was here. I had to! I threw back the coverlet and quickly dressed in my outer robes.<br/>
Fear gave me wings, and I all but flew down the hallway. My flight down the endless empty hallway was too much like my nightmare. I paused at Sheev's door,  terrified I would find his suite was empty. I punched in the code, missed a digit and with shaking hands, had to start all over again. The door opened soundlessly. “Lights!” I called out, looking around the dining and lounge area but I saw nothing out of the ordinary.<br/>
The bedroom door opened quietly as I approached. The light behind me spilled into the bed chamber, illuminating it enough to see inside. Sheev was asleep; a massive lump in a massive bed. I slumped against the doorway, hands clutched to my chest, and almost wept with relief. He was sleeping peacefully, unaware of the turmoil within me.<br/>
I shut down the lights, and hoping I wouldn’t stub my toe, made my way to his bedside. I shed my outer robe, dropping it haphazardly to the floor and crawled into the bed.<br/>
Sheev stirred and muttered something unintelligible. I shushed him and said, “I had a nightmare. Can I sleep with you?”<br/>
He must have understood, because he reached for me, pulled me close, and tucked my head under his chin. I sighed and began to relax within the circle and warmth of his strong arms. I listened to the cadence of his steady breathing, the steady beating of his heart. He was here. He hadn’t left. He wasn’t going to leave. The immense relief worked to slowly loosened every muscle fiber and sinew. I slipped once again into sleep, but this time it was blissfully dreamless.<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
A soft warm body was pressed against me. What? Who? Then I breathed deep. It was Laurem. I would recognize her sweet scent anywhere. I pulled her closer to me. My legs were tangled in her robe, my thigh resting between her thighs. How was it possible for a leg to be so soft and firm at the same time?<br/>
She mumbled and burrowed her head deeper into my chest. Tendrils of her hair had escaped her braid during the night and tickled my neck. I couldn’t help the involuntary flinch and chuckle, and the movement of my body shook Laurem awake.<br/>
I thought she might pull away as she awoke, but she didn’t, she rolled more onto her side and slid her bare arm across my stomach. The innocent movement caused a rush of heat that threatened to burn me from the inside out. I fought to keep my hands still, when all I wanted to do was touch, caress, taste, explore.<br/>
“Good morning,” she yawned. She moved slightly to adjust her position and I ground my teeth together. “Thank you for letting me sleep with you. I had the worst dream ever.”<br/>
“Do you want to tell me about it?”<br/>
“I dreamed I couldn’t find you. I looked everywhere and you were gone. I had to make sure you were still here,” Laurem confessed.<br/>
I squeezed her gently, “I’m not going anywhere. Laurem.”<br/>
“Good.”<br/>
I looked down at her upturned face and began, “Laurem, do you have any idea how much you mean to me?”<br/>
“Sheev, would you kiss me. Please?”<br/>
“Yes,” I breathed. I touched my lips to hers and I was lost. Her lips were soft and tasted better than any sweet I’d ever eaten. She slid her palm from my stomach, up over the planes of my chest to rest at the base of my neck, slipping her small hand into my hair, where she caressed and played with the ends. I deepened the kiss and slid my hand down her back to rest on her softly rounded bottom, squeezing gently. I felt Laurem flinch, but I wasn’t sure if it was one of pleasure or one of dissent, so I released her.<br/>
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean. I-it’s just, and then, well,” I fumbled.<br/>
Laurem smiled, “Sheev, I love you so much.”<br/>
I opened my mouth to say something, realized what she said, smiled instead, then pulled her to me, pressing her lips to mine, sinking into her softness, which I did, again and again. I didn’t want to stop, ever, but she deserved to know, so I drew back only long enough to say, “I love you, too.”<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
Sheev’s kisses made my head spin. But I didn’t want him to stop. I wanted to touch him and I wanted him to touch me. I felt like I was going to burn to ashes with every stroke and every kiss. I wanted to belong to him. He loved me. Any protests or reservations I might have entertained were destroyed by his love. We had waited long enough. We had danced around as friends, now it was time to come together as lovers.<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
I was useless today. After this morning with Laurem, all I have done is daydream about the possibilities for the two of us and smile, no, not smile, grin like an idiot. I reviewed the mess on my desk and shoved several papers to the side. Laurem was supposed to bring me lunch, but that was still hours away. She should have said she was sick today and stayed in bed with me. I think she should be sick this afternoon. I sat back with yet another smile. Yeah, for sure she should be sick this afternoon, and me, too. It was likely contagious and we should be quarantined together until a cure was found, which might take a long, long time.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
I moved around the kitchen; fairly certain my feet were not even touching the ground. I hummed a little tune and smiled to myself.<br/>
I overheard Heckla comment, “Someone is in a good mood this morning.”<br/>
I smiled, “I guess I am.”<br/>
I tried to tone it down and concentrate on work, but I kept finding myself thinking back to everything that had happened this morning. Every kiss. Every proclamation of love. Every whisper. Every caress. I shivered. I had to stop! I quickly checked my coworkers faces, my own face flushed, and was relieved to find no one was paying any attention to me.<br/>
I started the prep work for the worker's lunch. Once it was finished, then I would start on Sheev’s meal. I wouldn’t make any shortcuts, but if I worked quickly, I might be able to take Sheev his meal a little earlier. I was relatively certain he wouldn’t mind.<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
I sensed her. We were connected now; body and soul. I was whole and happy when she walked through the door. The cart was brimming with steaming food, but I was only hungry for the person before me. I followed her movements as she sat the table for lunch, as graceful as any dancer. She kept sneaking looks at me, smiling all the while. She had taken her hair down and brushed it before coming. I loved knowing she did it for me.<br/>
As I stood, she stopped what she was doing, dish in hand. She appeared to be as mesmerized by me as I was by her. A tractor beam had gripped me and was pulling me towards her. Did I walk or float across the floor to her? As soon as I reached her, I put my hands on her hips and pulled her towards me. I wasn’t letting go. Not today. Not ever.</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
Sheev started to surprise me by showing up in the most unlikely places. I would be walking down a hall, and he would grab me, pull me into a closet or empty room and kiss me senseless. Sheev had me at a distinct disadvantage, but I had no complaints. My mind and my senses were filled with thoughts of him, so much so, I could barely concentrate on anything else.
I reviewed the ingredients of the recipe in front of me and grumbled when I realized I had forgotten an item from the pantry. As I entered,  I was grabbed and pulled into the darkened recesses. I was about to scream, when lips, his lips, descended, covering my mouth and swallowing my scream. I relaxed into his embrace, returning his kiss with one of my own, all the while hoping no one needed anything from the pantry.<br/>
“No one is coming,” he confessed in a whisper, then kissed me again.<br/>
“Can you read my mind?”<br/>
“Come with me,” Sheev whispered in my ear, then ran a trail of kisses down my neck to my collar bone where he nipped gently. “Let’s go away, just the two of us.”<br/>
My eyes rolled back in ecstasy before my eyelids fluttered closed. I bit my lips on a groan, reveling in the sensation of his lips on my neck. He waited patiently for me to comprehend what he had said to me, chuckling as he nibbled on the cord of my neck.<br/>
“Where would we go?”<br/>
“I have the perfect place. It’s not too far from here.”<br/>
“How would I get away?”<br/>
“You will come with me, like before, on your own time. I will send a message later to CR30 with a plausible excuse as to why we can’t make it back.”<br/>
“I would feel guilty leaving them with all of the work…,” the words had barely left my lips, when Sheev kissed me again with slow thoroughness. When he released me, I said breathlessly, “Yes. I’ll go with you.”<br/>
Sheev chuckled and touched his forehead to mine, “That’s my girl.”</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
I borrowed a speeder bike for our trip. Riding over the green terrain was a thrill for me, but Laurem had a death grip around my waist, so tight I could barely breathe. Who knew my tiny love had such upper body strength?<br/>
I maneuvered the bike around overgrown vegetation to the front of a small run-down home. The dwelling was surrounded by so many plants and flowers, there weren’t many who knew a home was here. I lifted a shaking Laurem off of the bike, and swept her up into my arms.<br/>
"Sheev, put me down."<br/>
“Why? You are just going to fall down as soon as I set you on your feet.”<br/>
“I will not!”<br/>
I set her down and she sagged in my arms. I swung her back up and lengthened my stride towards the entry.<br/>
“Told you,” I replied smugly. She crossed her arms and tried to appear angry, but I knew better. I didn't want any delays. I had plans for our time together and I wanted to enjoy every minute.<br/>
I made an earlier trip to set up the systems and clean up a little bit, so it would be ready for us.
“Lights!” The room illuminated, as much as it could. The small home was in ill repair, but it was isolated, clean, and functional. The scenery around it was lush, and made the ugly dwelling a little more welcoming. I sat Laurem on her feet and we began to open the home to the outside. A gentle breeze blew through the open windows, refreshing the stagnant air and blowing in thesweet scents of blooming flowers.<br/>
“What is this place?” Laurem asked, looking around curiously.<br/>
“This,” I replied with my arms spread wide, “This is the former home of Mistress Palpatine.”<br/>
“Really? This is where Mistress used to live? It reminds me of where Mother and I lived before coming to the gray place. It was small, but it was home.” She looked around the small dwelling, “I thought Mistress came from a wealthy family.”<br/>
“That is what she wants everyone to think. My father was actually the wealthy one.”<br/>
“Huh. Have you talked to Master? He’s been sick for quite some time.”<br/>
Sheev made a snorting noise, “He hasn’t been sick. He’s probably taking hepsin again. He is, or was, a recovering addict.”<br/>
“What? No!” Laurem said in disbelief, putting a soothing hand on my forearm.<br/>
I picked up her hand from my arm, and kissed the back of it. I knew I was about to shock her when I said, “Laurem, Mistress has always been his supplier. It keeps him occupied, away from her, yet under her control. If he tries to rebel, then she cuts him off.”<br/>
Laurem’s shock was evident. Morda had shielded Laurem from much of my parents more sordid behavior. Her innocence and belief in the goodness of people made me love her even more; made me want to take over the task of protecting her from such evil, while she, in return, protected me from the evil which dwelled in me.<br/>
“Sheev, I am so sorry. I don’t know what to say,” she pulled her hand out of mine and wrapped her arms around my waist, pulling me into a gentle hug.<br/>
I pulled her closer, “You don’t have to say anything. I’ve long since made peace my parents are what they are. I’m terrified, though, I will become like them, that I am like them.”<br/>
“What? No! You could never be like them. Sheev you are an amazing person with a good heart.” Laurem smiled up at me with pride, “Don’t you realize how wonderful you are?” She buried her head in my chest and tightened her arms around me.<br/>
I looked down at the top of her shiny, dark head and hoped I would never disappoint her. She was the only person in this universe I loved and her opinion of me meant everything.<br/>
“Enough talking about my parents! Put them out of your head. I came here to be with you. I don’t want to think, or be, with anyone else, anywhere else.”<br/>
I dipped my head and touched her lips to mine for a kiss which instantly turned passionate. My body flushed hot. I was ready for her. I needed her. I picked her up, not breaking the kiss, and we retreated into the bed chamber. I couldn’t believe it, but she was here, in my arms. I could'nt restrain myself. I didn’t need to restrain myself.<br/>
She seemed to be fluid and where I advanced, she retreated and then surrounded me. We submitted ourselves to one another, give and take, advance and retreat, caress and hold. Cherish. And as she welcomed me into her body, her glow, her aura, flowed from her skin and wrapped around me, accepting me. Enfolding me. Enlightening me.<br/>
Flashes of light appeared behind my closed eyelids; images of memories not yet made. Our future. It was love. It was contentment, joy, and children. A family. It was a life. A long life. A beautiful life. And I wanted it. I craved it. In a final burst of light, the images dissipated as our bodies crested with waves of pleasure. I wrapped my arms around her and rolled until she was covering me and together, we rested. “I love you Laurem. I always have,” I said, lips brushing her temple.<br/>
I saw our future, in my vision. So why did I question her devotion? Because you know she is too good for you. I shook the thought away. I knew she was too good for me, but her goodness was part of her appeal. I wanted her because of it. She made me a better person; made we want to be a better person. I was drawn to her light from the very first moment I saw her. She banished the darkness from my soul, but the evilness would not be entirely quelled, because darkness was clever at hiding. It was still there, hovering, waiting, dancing just out of reach from where her light touched my soul. Sometimes the darkness raged, threatening to overwhelm and consume. I wanted her. I needed her to save me from myself.</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
I stretched lazily and some of my muscles protested the movement. Sheev was a demanding lover. He couldn’t get enough of me, but then, I couldn’t get enough of him, either. Neither of us could go overlong without touching the other, even if it was merely holding hands or a stolen kiss. I loved how demonstrative he was. I was bereft when he wasn’t touching me, or close to me. I rolled over on the bed, onto my stomach, the length of my body still pressed up against his warmth. I felt his warm hand stroke my bare back.<br/>
“Your skin is so soft,” Sheev murmured.<br/>
I opened my eyes and ogled my handsome man. Yes, mine, I thought as my eyes drank him in. He had a glow about him, as if he was lit from within. I had never noticed it before, but the shimmer was so bright, it could not be missed. “You’re glowing,” I commented drowsily.<br/>
He looked at me strangely, “What?”<br/>
“You’re lit from within. Maybe I am seeing things,” I replied with a contented yawn.<br/>
Sheev rolled over onto his back, resting his head back on his pillow, smiling to himself, but he didn’t say anything. He tucked his hands behind his head and appeared blissful. The morning had been wonderfully passionate, and now that the passion had been sated, we were luxuriating in each other, enjoying the closeness and companionship we had so little time to enjoy while we were working. I had seen him smile and my curiosity was piqued.<br/>
“What are you thinking?”<br/>
“I want all of my days to be exactly like today.”<br/>
I turned back over onto my side and pressed against him. Putting my arm around his stomach, I gave him a gentle squeeze, then snuggled my head into his chest. “Me, too,”<br/>
I took the ends of my hair and brushed them against his stomach like a paint brush, painting swirls and circles on his bare skin.<br/>
Sheev rolled over onto his side so he was facing me. His expression was suddenly serious, “Would you really?”<br/>
“Really what?”<br/>
“Want to be with me always.”<br/>
“Yes, I want it more than anything." It was true. I never wanted to be parted from Sheev ever again. I would surely die if Iwe were to be separated.<br/>
“Well, then Laurem, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” Sheev asked clasping my hand and drawing it to his lips.<br/>
It was a question I never thought I would hear him ask, but wanted to hear, oh, so much. I didn’t think he had the freedom to ask such a thing. He had this brilliant future ahead of him, and I, well I was just a servant.<br/>
“Oh, Sheev,” I began, but Sheev put a finger to my lips.<br/>
“Yes or no?”<br/>
“Oh yes, a thousand times yes, but…” Sheev stopped what I was about to say with a deep kiss. He pulled away slightly, his forehead touching mine.<br/>
“I know what you were going to say, but I’m a grown man. You’re a grown woman. We make our own decisions. And being with you forever would be the best decision I could ever make.”<br/>
“Sheev, your parents…”<br/>
“Will have to live with my decisions as I have had to constantly live with theirs. I haven’t even spoken with them since I left the gray place, not directly anyway. You will be marrying me, not them. Please, marry me. I need you, Laurem. I mean it when I said you are everything to me.”<br/>
“Oh, Sheev. I love you. If you want me, then I’m yours.”<br/>
He kissed me and I melted into him. He wanted me to be his wife. He wanted to be his, forever. I twined my hands up around his neck and caressed his hair and gave myself over to him. Mother was right after all. Sheev was my destiny.<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
Well, I had completely botched my proposal, but it didn’t seem to matter. I should have known Laurem wouldn’t need a grand gesture, but I had wanted to give her one anyway. I did have the cuff to give her, but figured I should at least wait until we were out of bed, not that I was in a hurry to leave it. Laurem was like a drug. The more I was with her, the more I craved her.<br/>
The glow Laurem noticed was of her goodness. I had taken some of it from her and it had flowed over me and I was saved. My darkness threatened to overwhelm me when I was away from her. I had hurt people, like Enna, but I didn’t care. I could have snapped Weims neck when he touched Laurem, and I would have tossed him aside like a piece of trash. I still might.<br/>
I took a deep breath and willed those thoughts away. I wanted to be a better man for Laurem. I would make it my mission to take care of her and make her happy. I knew my abilities thrived on anger. When I was angry, I was so strong and self-assured, I could accomplish anything. When I was furious, my powers thrilled me, so much so, I was afraid of what I would or could do. I would have to exercise the utmost care with Laurem. Couples occasionally had their differences, and I would have to be careful never to harm her. I almost lost control the day I took her memories and I could never let it happen again.<br/>
Laurem got out of bed to perform her magic in the kitchen. It might be fun to help her. Besides, I couldn’t touch her from here and she was already too far away.<br/>
</p><p>HECKLA<br/>
CR30 informed us Laurem and Sheev were unfortunately detained and unable to return from their comfort mission to the Naboo Refuge Center. The Center had provided a refuge for survivors of planets which had been decimated during the Solar Wars, but the numbers of refugees had been steadily dwindling since the ceasefire, so there were very few who remained.<br/>
Becia and I had been one of those refugees, but had been on Naboo long enough. I wanted Beccia to know her people.<br/>
I would give Mistress an update. With her help, we should be able to leave Naboo very soon.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
Sheev shut down the systems to our little refuge and I sighed. I wanted to stay here forever. I touched the smooth metal cuff on my arm and turned it around on my wrist to admire it. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever owned. I couldn’t believe it was mine.<br/>
Hide it, I cautioned myself.  Sheev might think we are able to make our own decisions, but there was no telling what Mistress might do if she found out. Mistress might not be able to get to me, but Mother was at the gray place and vulnerable.<br/>
I trudged behind Sheev to the speeder bike. He helped me on the bike and I could see my sadness reflected in his eyes. Neither of us wanted to go back, but we had no choice. I held tight to his waist and buried my face in his back.</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
I wanted to move Laurem closer to me, but even though I told Laurem we would be making our own decisions, I knew Mistress had spies everywhere. We would have to be careful. No one knew more than I did what Mistress was capable of, and she wouldn’t balk at hurting Laurem. I would do what I had to do.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
Sheev grabbed my hand, "Don't go."<br/>
"I have to. You know I have to."<br/>
He dropped my hand with a groan, I hated leaving in the wee hours of the morning. I dreaded crawling into my cold bed. Sheev's protestations made it even harder to leave. But we needed to be discreet.<br/>
I smiled as I began the morning meal prep, reminiscing of our morning meals in the little house. I wanted to do something special for him. I wonder if I should...<br/>
A raucous noise caused me to cover my ears. It was an alarm! Mady, moving faster than I thought was possible, burst into the kitchen and shouted, “Fire!”<br/>
“Where?”<br/>
“Servants quarters!” Mady said over his shoulder, moving towards our rooms as quick as he could go. I followed at his heels. “I had to manually set the alarm because they didn’t sound,” he shouted over the crescendo.<br/>
We rounded the corner to the hallway and could see the fire had been mostly extinguished. Two rooms had burned in the blaze, a room that was the only unoccupied room at the time, and my room.<br/>
I was instantly chilled. I started to walk into my room, but was stopped by Mady, “Laurem, you shouldn’t go in yet. Let the droids check it out first. It could be dangerous now.”<br/>
“Yes, wait Laurem!” Sheev called out from behind me, his mouth pressed into a grim line. “Do you know what happened?”<br/>
Mady shook his head, “No, Master Sheev. I saw the smoke, and sounded the alarm. We’ll need to check for a malfunction of both the alarm and the fire retardant. I had to set both of them manually.”<br/>
Dread settled in my stomach. A malfunction of one was unusual, but for both systems to malfunction, well, it just didn’t happen.<br/>
Sheev noticed my shaking hands, and I could see his features soften. “Once the droids have checked the damage and have cleared the premises, then you can go in and get anything you need. We can replace what might have been destroyed. I'll have CR30 prepare rooms for you until we can get these rooms repaired.”<br/>
I swallowed and nodded. We would have to discuss this more later when we were alone. Did he suspect his mother had something to do with this? Was she sending a warning?<br/>
My movements at work were mechanical. I did what I needed to do, but my thoughts were elsewhere. I had been feeling light headed all morning, but with the shock of seeing smoke billowing out into the hallway from my room, it was to be expected.<br/>
CR30 found me sitting in the kitchen, “Mistress Kalcar, please follow me and I will show you to your temporary quarters.”<br/>
I stopped when CR30 headed towards Sheev’s quarters. “CR30, you're headed in the wrong direction.”<br/>
“I assure you I am not.”<br/>
He passed the door to Sheev’s quarters, and I was shown to a door just beyond. CR30 had me update my biometrics and numerical authentication on the entry pad, and once completed, I tentatively entered into my temporary suite of rooms. It was a smaller, mirror image layout of Sheev’s suite, but larger than any I had occupied in my life.<br/>
My lips formed a grim line. This was not going to go unnoticed by the workers and could easily be reported back to Mistress. Was this Sheev’s counter move? I wouldn't be a pawn in their game of wills.<br/>
“Will you require anything else?” CR30 asked.<br/>
“No, thank you."<br/>
I wandered through the suite, investigating and exploring, when I discovered a large box resting in the middle of the bed. I flipped the lid and discovered most of my belongings, recovered from my room, in pristine condition. Placed on the very top was my engagement cuff. I clutched it to my chest and sank onto the bed. I had thought it was lost in the fire, and the relief at seeing it safe was overwhelming. I slid the cold metal into place as a tear slipped down my cheek. I made a silent promise to never remove it again.<br/>
“Hey, hey, are you alright?”<br/>
Sheev sank onto his knees in front of me and peered into my face with concern. “What’s the matter?”<br/>
“I thought it had been ruined in the fire. I thought I’d lost it forever."<br/>
“No, no, my sweet, don’t cry,” Sheev thumbed the tear from my cheek.<br/>
I wrapped my arms around Sheev and buried my face into his neck. “I’ll never take it off again. Never! I will protect it with my life.”<br/>
Sheev pulled me out of his arms, his face grim, “No, don’t say that Laurem. Never say that! Your life is worth more to me than anything! This,” he pointed to the cuff, “can be replaced, but you, you cannot. Promise me!”<br/>
“But I love it so much because you gave it to me,” I pleaded. Sheev stood, gripped my upper arms and pulled me abruptly to stand with him. His grip was almost painful and he gently shook me to make his point.<br/>
“You must never jeopardize your life, Laurem. Not for anything. Do you understand? Not. For. Anything. Promise me. Live. Always live, for me.” And with those words, he kissed me, and his plea echoed in my head.<br/>
“I promise,” I whispered in between kisses, “I promise.”<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
The staff was in an uproar, not so much because Laurem had moved out of the servant’s quarters, because where else was she supposed to go? Her room, and the only other empty room, had burned and would have to be refurbished. Until it was completed, the staff understood she would have to stay somewhere, so it made sense she was placed in a suite in the family quarters. The staff was concerned about the fire and the potential for their own rooms to be demolished. I hired an outside review to be done of the systems to allay their fears. They were discovered to be in good working order and the simple malfunction was a mystery.<br/>
Laurem and I still slept together, but I was anxious to have her in my quarters permanently. I had yet to discuss future plans with her, but I wanted her by my side as soon as possible. I figured she would want her mother in attendance at our wedding, so we would have to contact Pacia soon.<br/>
I looked up as Laurem came in with my lunch tray. The steam from the kitchen had caused tendrils of her hair to escape the braid and curl about her face. Her cheeks were rosy and she was a little disheveled, but my room, and my mood, brightened just by her walking into it. She smiled at me and the tractor beam pulled me in again, and I went to her immediately.<br/>
“I was thinking about you,” I began, and helped her unload the food from the tray to the table.<br/>
Laurem’s smile grew wider, “I was thinking about you, too.”<br/>
“Are you hungry?”<br/>
“Famished,” she responded, “let me go to my room…”<br/>
Her words trailed off and her hand slammed down on the hover cart, as she pitched forward. She caught herself from falling, but when she tried to right herself, she stumbled backwards to the wall; her face ashen. I watched in mute horror as she slid, back against the wall, to the floor, nearly unconscious.<br/>
Dropping the dish, I rushed to Laurem’s side. I scrambled on my knees to grasp her shoulders and help her to sit up, “Laurem, what…? Are you OK?”<br/>
She shook her head and then groaned, “Give me a minute.”<br/>
Thinking it was possible she went too long without anything to eat; I ran to get a glass of sweet water for her. She took it and drank a few sips. It seemed to revive her, so she drank some more. I took the glass from her, reached down and pulled her into my arms and headed for the bedroom. I gently placed her down on the bed and reached for the commlink to call the infirmary.<br/>
“Sheev, what are you doing? I’m fine.”<br/>
“No. You’re not,” I snapped.<br/>
“I’m fine. Don't you dare order a scan.”<br/>
“I dare.”<br/>
She rubbed her forehead and scrunched up her nose, “I think I was just overheated. The kitchen was really warm today.”<br/>
I could see the pink softly returning to her cheeks, but I was determined. She had never, in all of the seasons I’d known her, look like that. She needed to be scanned and I wouldn’t allow her to talk me out of it.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
“Gravida's female, four weeks, with syncope. Patient denies emesis, admits to nausea during syncope periods.”<br/>
The lights in the infirmary had been dimmed, and some refreshing cool air was flowing over me. I placed my hand on my stomach and stared at the ceiling. It was a shock. A baby. I was, no, we were going to have a baby. Sheev had been in shock, too, but he barely missed a beat before he broke out in a huge grin.<br/>
He followed the infirmary droid out of the room and I could hear him asking questions. I was supposed to be resting, but a million thoughts were running through my head. A mother. I was going to be a mother. I was going to have a little Sheev of my very own. I rubbed my hand back and forth over my stomach.  I loved this child with all I am. I would do anything to protect him, or her. I would face down an army if I had to.<br/>
Sheev, questions answered, came in and smiled, seeing me with my hand on my stomach, expression fierce. His eyes met mine, “Me, too.”<br/>
I swung my legs around and was about to stand up, but Sheev was by me in an instant. “You're done working for today.”<br/>
“Sheev, please, many women continue to work when they're heavy with child.”.<br/>
“You need to rest. We will be busy tomorrow. I just contacted Pacia. We’re leaving for Coruscant in the morning.”<br/>
“Really, Sheev?” He nodded and all of my worries dropped away. I would see Mother tomorrow!<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
Pacia had been about to contact Laurem. Morda had taken a turn and was finally allowing Pacia to call Laurem home. Laurem had a big enough shock learning she was pregnant. I didn’t want her to upset her further. She would learn about her mother’s condition soon enough. I knew she would be devastated by the news, and if I could protect her a little longer, then I would keep it to myself. I would break the news to her as gently as I could when we were underway tomorrow.<br/>
The rest of the day was a flurry of activity as I directed CR30, and the rest of the staff, to prepare us for the trip to Coruscant. I had Laurem transferred back to her room with strict instructions to the staff she was not to be disturbed.<br/>
I prepared for bed, and went to her room to check on her and found her sound asleep. I crawled in bed with her, pulling her close to me. She slept on and I was grateful she was resting so well. When she lost consciousness today, I had been terrified. The droid assured me it was normal to be lightheaded during the early days of a pregnancy. The droid had better be right, or else I was going to crush it into scrap metal.<br/>
The next morning, Laurem her usual bubbly self. We rushed through breakfast so we could leave as soon as possible. CR30 had loaded our baggage, so we settled into our seats. We had barely gotten underway when I glanced over at Laurem and she had already fallen asleep. I reclined her chair, and got lost in my thoughts.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
A gentle nudge woke me and I groggily became aware of my surroundings. Sheev, my sweet man, had reclined my seat, which I righted and prepared to disembark. I held out my hand and Sheev intertwined his fingers with mine.<br/>
“I’m sorry,” I stood up with Sheev’s assistance, stretched and yawned. “I can’t believe I slept the entire trip.” I moved into his arms for a hug. We hadn’t seen much of each other the last day or so and I needed to touch him and feel his arms around me.<br/>
He released me from the hug, but held tight to my hand as we walked from the transport. A lone figure was waiting for us on the landing platform. It was Pacia.<br/>
“Where’s Mother?” I asked, eyebrows raised in concern. Pacia looked from me to Sheev, who I saw shake his head. Pacia grimaced sadly.<br/>
“Mother?” I gripped Sheev’s hand tightly.<br/>
Pacia said, “She's waiting for you.”<br/>
I sighed with relief. Sheev rubbed his free hand up and down my back. I knew from his touch, there was more. Why did he not say anything? The accusation was on the tip of my tongue, but after our news yesterday, he was busy directing the workers and packing while I was sleeping. I slept on the transport, too. I swallowed my accusations, and followed Pacia and Sheev to see Mother.<br/>
Pacia took us to the infirmary. Panic caused my stomach churn. I glanced questioningly at Pacia, and she gave me a sad, sympathetic smile. Mother had promised! Why had she waited so long to contact me? 
Mother was sitting up in a medical bed. Her face lit up when she saw me and I flew to her side.<br/>
“Mother!” I cried, as I embraced her gently. I could feel the sharpness of the bones of her shoulders and arms through robes which hung on her emaciated frame.<br/>
She pulled me back and my eyes roamed over her face. Her skin was taut over her now too prominent cheekbones, and there were dark hollows underneath her eyes. She put her hands on either side of my face, “Oh Laurem, I am so happy to see you! Let me look at you! Oh, you are a young woman, now.”<br/>
Mother’s eyes were alight with pure joy. How could I have ever left her? She released my cheeks and clasped my hands spreading her arms out wide and looking me over.<br/>
I rolled my eyes, but smiled so wide my cheeks hurt, “I haven’t changed. Not much anyway. Oh, how I have missed you! I have so much to tell you.”<br/>
Mother peered over my shoulder, “Sheev! Oh my! You are a man, now. Just look at you!”<br/>
I stepped back, realizing she hadn’t seen Sheev since he left the gray place for school. Sheev came forward, greeting Mother with a shy smile.<br/>
“Hello Mistress Kalcar,” Sheev began, but Mother interrupted him.<br/>
“Please Sheev, I know it has been a while since we last spoke, but you can call me Morda.".<br/>
Sheev nodded, “Morda. It is good to see you.”<br/>
Mother peeked around Sheev, “Laurem, why don’t you run and say hello to Katen. She has missed you so much. She asks about you every time she comes to see me.”<br/>
“But,” I began but Mother interrupted, “I will be here when you get back. Sheev will keep me company, won’t you?”<br/>
Mother picked up Sheev’s hand and patted it lightly on the back. Mother and Sheev held a wordless conversation, gazing penetratingly at one another. I realized they were waiting for me to leave before they began. Pacia took my arm and we left for the Palpatine kitchen. My hair stood up on the back of my neck as I remembered I was back in Mistress Palpatine’s domain.</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
I looked down at the wasted figure of Laurem’s mother. She held my huge hand in hers, patting it lightly, and her grasp was so cold it almost gave me a chill. It was clear her life was ending and I was surprised at how badly I wished I could save her. I respected this woman for all she had sacrificed for her daughter, and was heartily sorry for what she had endured at the hands of my mother. Morda had every reason to despise me, but she had always treated me with respect and kindness, two things I had never received from my own parents.<br/>
“Please, have a seat Sheev. I am sorry if I am staring, but you have grown and matured so much. I guess in my mind you are still a little boy,” Morda chuckled, “Tell me how did you like your school? I heard you are an apprentice now.”<br/>
“Yes, but not for much longer. I hated school. I was relieved when they decided to accelerate our program and place us into an early apprenticeship on our home planets. I didn’t miss Coruscant. I missed you, of course, and Laurem, well, especially Laurem.” I ended awkwardly.<br/>
“You and Laurem have always had a special connection.”<br/>
There was a pause in our conversation, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. She seemed to be considering something, so I waited for her to continue.<br/>
“I was told about you by the other workers before I ever saw you. Some of the workers said you cursed people and caused them to drop things or trip. It was the silliest nonsense I had ever heard. One night, after work, Laurem had waited up for me. She wanted to tell me all about meeting you. She had never had a friend before, you see, but even so, even then, I knew you were special to her. I can still see the expression on her face. She was glowing.”<br/>
Morda tapped the side of her head with a faraway stare in her eyes, lost in her memory. “She was incandescent with joy. She knew who you were from the moment she met you.”<br/>
Morda turned her eyes back to me, “Do you understand how rare that type of connection is? She SAW you.”<br/>
“Yes,” I agreed, “She did. She still does.”<br/>
I paused, took a deep breath, then fumbled on, “Morda, I had an important reason for wanting to come with Laurem to see you. It would make me happy…I would like your…I have asked Laurem to marry me, and she said yes. I would like your permission to marry her. She has accepted me, but we would, I would, very much like your approval.” I let out my breath in a whoosh and waited tentatively for her answer.<br/>
Morda considered what I asked. What would I do if she refused her permission? How would Laurem feel about it? Would she be willing to defy her mother and marry me?<br/>
I reached out to Morda, to sort through the emotions flowing through her. I could feel she wasn’t surprised. I was slammed with the immensity of her relief. She knew she was dying, but she welcomed it. I could feel her exhaustion, but stronger than that, I could sense her fear. She was afraid to leave Laurem alone. She had always loved and protected her and didn’t want to leave without knowing she was safe and loved.<br/>
I pulled back, almost embarrassed, by eavesdropping on Morda’s emotions. She reached over and clasped my other hand, sandwiching my warm hands between her two cold ones, and in her simple touch, love and acceptance flowed from her. I had to swallow the lump that formed in my throat. This acceptance was a foreign sensation to me, but a welcome one.<br/>
I wish I knew what I could do to make her more comfortable. I had felt her pain, and more strongly, her exhaustion. But I also sensed she didn’t want to be saved. Not now. She was ready.<br/>
Morda smiled, squeezed my hands and said softly, “Of course, I give you my blessing. I know how much you love her. I also know she loves you, tremendously. She always has. Yes, she always has.”<br/>
She squeezed my hands one last time before releasing them, and reclined back onto her pillow with a sigh of exhaustion. “Just promise me you will protect her. Mistress will not be pleased. She has been trying to separate you from the very beginning.”<br/>
Morda sighed again and closed her eyes. “I should leave you, so you can rest,” I said, not really wanting to go.<br/>
Morda opened her eyes, “Please stay. Tell me about your time away from us.”<br/>
I described the school and told her my theories about the upkeep of the dormitories. I decided to make up light, humorous stories regarding the students. I skipped over my struggles, but somehow, I knew she sensed it was not as I had described. She listened attentively, laughing and asking questions. I would never have a conversation like this with my own mother, and I was deeply saddened, and a little angry. Why couldn’t Mistress be the one sick, and dying?<br/>
“Sheev,” Morda said, “I have something I want to give to you and Laurem, as a wedding gift. It is the only thing I have of any value. I have a small home I shared with Laurem before coming to the gray place. It isn’t much, but it is yours to do with what you please.”<br/>
“Thank you, Morda,” I responded, not sure what to say.<br/>
The door opened and Laurem swept back into the room, her brow furrowed with worry as her gaze traveled from her mother to me. The glow that always surrounded Laurem dimmed. She came to stand by me and Morda reached out for Laurem’s hand.<br/>
“I have given your young man my blessing for your marriage,” Morda started, as she clasped Laurem’s hand.<br/>
A smile spread over Laurem’s face, and she glanced briefly at me, before resting her eyes on her mother. “Thank you, Mother.” She pulled up her sleeve to show her the engagement cuff.<br/>
“Have you been wearing this the entire time?” Morda asked with a worried frown. “Did anyone else see it?”<br/>
“Yes. I have been wearing it since we arrived. I haven’t shown it to anyone but you.”<br/>
I followed Morda’s thoughts and I agreed with her. Morda was right in her assumptions. We should be cautious. She warned, “Be selective who you tell about your relationship. Please be careful.”<br/>
“We will, Mother.”<br/>
“I’m sorry. I'm happy for you both. I truly am."<br/>
“Morda, I will do everything in my power to protect Laurem from Mistress. We won’t confide in anyone while we are here,” I soothed with a nod to Laurem. “We have another pressing reason for keeping Laurem safe and protected.”<br/>
Laurem smiled at her mother and pressed a hand to her abdomen. Morda’s face went from confusion to joy, “Oh! I'm so happy!”<br/>
Laurem gently reached down to hug her mother. Morda waved her hand at me and I hugged both Laurem and Morda as gently as I could, not wanting to jostle Laurem or injure Morda in her frailty.<br/>
When we released Morda, she clapped her hands together and with tears swimming in her eyes, “You've both made me so happy. I’m so glad you came!”<br/>
I nodded to the happy pair, reluctant to leave, but wanting to have a quick word with Pacia. “I will leave you ladies for now. You have much to discuss, I think.” I grasped both of their hands and gave them a squeeze.<br/>
A feeling of unease came over me as I left them.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
As Sheev swept from the room, all the light and energy seemed to flow through the door with him, leaving it empty and quiet. It was silly, to be so bereft, when we were separated, even if only for a few minutes. I didn’t want to be clingy, but I’d had to endure all of those endless seasons without him. Now, when he left my sight for even the shortest period of time, I grieved his absence.<br/>
My Mother observed my expression and said, with a reassuring pat on the back of my hand, “He will be back soon. ”<br/>
I nodded and smiled at Mother, “Yes. I know.”<br/>
I sighed, then fussed with my Mother’s bedding, “Are you comfortable? Would you like another blanket? Your hands are so cold.”<br/>
“Another blanket would be welcome,’ Mother agreed. “The gray place has always felt cold to me. I wasn’t sure if it was the temperature or if it was something else.” She gave a small shiver.<br/>
I went to the infirmary cupboards and searched around until I found another blanket. It was relatively thin, but with the other blanket, should help dispel some of the chill.<br/>
“Katen is going to send you some soup. It will help warm you up, too,” I said as I shook out the blanket and tucked it securely around her too thin frame.<br/>
“Mother,” I began, but she interrupted me immediately.<br/>
“Enough fussing about me. You look so happy! How have you been feeling?” Mother asked, her eyes searching my face.<br/>
“I’m tired,” I replied. “All I want to do is sleep.”<br/>
“So was I, when I was pregnant with you,” Mother said, a dreamy smile on her face. “I was so happy. Oh, and when you were born! Agan doted on you. You were such a good baby." She sighed happily, “Have you picked out any names yet?’<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
I had barely knocked on Pacia's office door when she called, “Come in, Sheev.”<br/>
“How did you know it was me?” I closed the door behind me and plopped down in the chair facing her, smiling in gest, “Do you have powers I need to be concerned about?”<br/>
“Oh, it was just a hunch. I’m surprised it took you this long.”<br/>
I shrugged, “Tell me what you know.”<br/>
“She’s aware you’re here. She’s also been informed you and Laurem are seeing each other. I haven’t heard how she found out, but my guess would be the first person with fat pockets that leaves Naboo,” Pacia paused, “Mistress has left no one in doubt about her displeasure of your relationship with Laurem. But this time, it's different. It’s been too quiet. I’m positive she’s planning something. You know her too well to doubt it.”<br/>
“And Morda? What can you tell me there?”<br/>
“Morda was so sick, but she refused to allow me to call Laurem. She’s been so stubborn! She wanted you to have time together; time to know one another again.  I was about to contact you, when you contacted me. When I told Morda that Laurem was coming, it revived her better than any of the treatments she’s been receiving. You saw her today. It’s been the best day she’s had in some time. I honestly didn’t know how much longer she had left.”<br/>
“Laurem will be devastated,” I replied solemnly. “I wanted to hide the truth from her, about the gravity of Morda’s illness, but I can see, and I am sure Laurem can see, Morda is close to death. She is such a good person. It’s unfair she should suffer.”<br/>
Pacia nodded, her eyes filled with unshed tears. I had no words of comfort for Pacia. I needed to move. I needed to think. I needed to consider all Pacia told me, and what I could do about it, if anything.<br/>
“Thank you, Pacia. Thank you, too, for taking such good care of Morda.”<br/>
Pacia nodded, too emotional to speak. I left her office, purposefully making my way towards the green place. My rooms might have held more privacy, but the green place was what I needed.<br/>
The jungle level, with its heavy vegetation, was the perfect place to be alone. I pushed aside some heavy vines and leaves to enter a secluded area with a small pool and water fall. Low flat stones were arranged in an arc around the water’s edge. It was my favorite place, private and sheltered from prying eyes. I sat on a stone, picking up some pebbles and throwing them in the water.<br/>
I enjoyed the calming sound of the rushing water and concentrated on releasing the tension from my shoulders, opening my mind, reaching outward in concentric circles. Stretching out with my feelings while keeping my emotions in check.<br/>
If Mistress was aware of our relationship, then it was clear to me Laurem and I could not be separated for any reason. Of this, I could be certain. I would be required to return to Naboo to continue my apprentice duties. I could give no outward excuse to stay on Coruscant for any length of time other than an obligatory visit.<br/>
Laurem would not want to leave her mother, nor could I ask her to. Her place was here for as long as her mother would need her. But if I returned to Naboo and left Laurem here, then she would be vulnerable and within Mistress’s reach.<br/>
I needed to extend my stay here on Coruscant, but for how long? And what excuse could I use?<br/>
I struggled to focus my mind. I wanted to envision my future, like I had while making love with Laurem. I had only the one glimpse, but my life with Laurem had been laid out before me. It could be, the answer to all of my questions, the resolution I needed to come to, was in another vision.<br/>
I wanted that life so desperately. She had given me the only love, I had ever known. And now, knowing she carried my child, it was imperative I made the right choices to protect my future. I hadn’t even realized I wanted a family. But I did. Desperately. Someone to love and someone to love me in return.<br/>
Why did Mistress even care who I married? Master had married her and she came from nothing. Less than nothing. Why did she think Laurem wasn’t good enough? Laurem, with her kindness and goodness, was more worthy than she ever was. Why did she have to control, approve, and manage every single aspect of my life? Well, I didn’t want her approval. I didn’t need her approval. What I wanted, was for her to be out of my life.<br/>
Anger surged through me, my focus sharpened, and my power swelled. It spiraled from my core, until it encompassed my entire body. Why did she always have to ruin everything? Why couldn’t she just let me live my life?<br/>
Blue light swirled and deadly bolts jettisoned out of my skin; swirling wildly around my body. I clenched my hands into tight fists as I felt hate rise. I wanted to destroy something. I wanted to kill.<br/>
Acting on instinct, I stretched my arm out towards a nearby plant. A ball of blue flames jettisoned from my palm, hitting the plant which blackened and withered. Amazed, I glance at my palm, then with a satisfied smile, threw another ball of flame and then another, satisfied with the destructive ability. I wanted to make them all rot. I wanted to spread decay in the jungle as the anger had spread through my soul.<br/>
My chest swelled as I gently hovered off the ground. My body lifting as if I weighed no more than a wisp of air, and I yielded to the darkness as it encircled me. Taking it for my own. It was easy. I was thirsty for destruction; for annihilation. I needed to…<br/>
Startled, I looked into the eyes of my astonished father, peering at me around some plants. Spying on me.<br/>
I gently lowered myself to the ground, never losing contact with my father’s terrified stare. I watched as his hands shook. He saw my eyes on his hands and he hurriedly clasped them behind his back. His body was a symphony of twitches and jerks. He was attempting to hide his withdrawal from me, but I had seen it more than once before. I knew the signs well.<br/>
In one surprisingly smooth movement, he spun around and headed towards the staircase. Unthinking, I followed close at his heels. I knew where he was going. He would be able to give information for hepsin.<br/>
“Father! Wait!” I called to him.<br/>
He slowly turned around, his face softening as he looked at me. “You’ve never called me that before.”<br/>
“I was told not to."<br/>
“I wanted…I tried…Mistress thought,” he attempted to explain, but stopped. He couldn’t explain how he allowed it to be someone else’s fault he was a failure as a father.<br/>
“You never fought for me,” I retorted bitterly. “I wanted a father. But what made you turn away from me, hepsin, or Mistress?”<br/>
He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, his hand convulsing and shaking. He finally shifted his eyes to meet my steady gaze, and weakly said, “I wanted to be there for you.”<br/>
I stood and closely assessed the man before me. I watched as he tried to still the impulse to twitch, and realized he had grown much thinner, almost gaunt. He had aged; his face haggard.<br/>
“Did she cut you off again? Or are you trying finally trying to get your habits under control?”<br/>
“I…you knew?”<br/>
I laughed, “I've always known! As does every person who works here, well, except for Laurem. She had no idea until I told her.”<br/>
“Yes, well, I've been ill.”<br/>
“Translation, Mistress has been giving you what you wanted,” I added sarcastically.<br/>
“I haven’t always been this way. It was different when we were younger. She was different, too.”<br/>
“Oh, I think Mistress is the same as she’s always been. You just chose to ignore it. Why did she cut you off this time? What did you do to displease her?”<br/>
“You’ve never spoken this way to me before. It’s that girl, isn’t it? She’s turned you against us."<br/>
“Laurem. Her name is Laurem.”<br/>
“Don’t you think we know you’re a target for our enemies? You’re vulnerable and Mistress knows it. She told me the girl was placed here specifically to trap you. You can't trust her. She's a spy.”<br/>
“It’s another lie she’s fed to you! She has lied to you, manipulated you, and controlled you, until you are a drug addled puppet dancing to her tune.”<br/>
His eyes narrowed, and his nostrils flared, “Your mother needs to hear about these abilities. It could change her plans for you.”<br/>
“Her plans?! These are my abilities and this is my life. Besides, I don’t know who you are talking about. I have a Mistress, and a Master, not a mother and a father.”<br/>
I clenched my fists as my anger swelled, “I’ve never had a mother, or a father. So, enlighten me. Why does Mistress need to be informed of my abilities? They have nothing to do with her. They have nothing to do with you.”<br/>
“They have everything to do with her! She wants you beside us in the Senate. She needs you to hold a Senate seat, with us, together, as a family. We could hold so much power. Don’t you see, if word gets out you have Jedi abilities, then they won’t take you in the Senate. And you are too old to be a Jedi. You would be left with nothing.”<br/>
“I’ve never wanted to be a Jedi. I’m not completely sure I want to be a Senator, either. Why can’t you let me take the time to discover what I really want to do?”<br/>
“We don’t have the luxury of time to figure out our true place in life. Why can’t you do this one thing for us? She just wants great things for you. She wants you to become a Senator and that is exactly what you are going to do! You’ve always been a selfish child. Selfish and spoiled! This time, you will do as you’re told.”<br/>
“Well, Father, unlike you, I don’t always do what she tells me. I might go into teaching. It is always good to pass on what you have learned.” I chuckled as I repeated the Jedi mantra.<br/>
The thought I could be a teacher was ridiculous, but Master wouldn't think it was because he didn’t know me. He had never bothered to learn anything about me. In some ways, he was worse than Mistress. She openly despised me. But Master, his habits took precedence over everything else, including me.<br/>
“We know your every movement on Naboo. Heckla kept us informed. You’re sadly mistaken, if you think you are going to make her a Palpatine,” he sneered. “Keep her on the side, if you must, but it would dangerous for her to leave her place and aspire to be your wife.”<br/>
“She will be my wife and there is nothing you can do to stop me.”<br/>
“No? Well, kitchens are dangerous places with many sharp objects. And her dear mother is sick. Poor dear. It would be tragic if she took a turn, especially after her daughter’s accident in the kitchen. You and I both know Mistress can make it happen. It would be so heartbreakingly tragic,” he clasped his hands to his heart, his head bowed and shaking in a mock pose of grief and commiseration.<br/>
I could hear no more. All of these seasons, I thought Master just went along with Mistress's plots, but no, he was as evil as Mistress.<br/>
“You won’t touch her.”<br/>
“You’re right. I won’t touch her, but you’d be surprised by what people will do for a little money.”<br/>
"Enough!" My hate built to a crescendo, creating a blast of wind that tossed my hair about and whipped at my robes. Bright streaks of blue light danced around me, jettisoning out like whips in the air. I thrust out my hand and a ball of solid blue light struck him square in the chest. I advanced on him while he stumbled backwards, shock and agony on his face, "No! No! Stop!"<br/>
He reeled, almost running backwards as I marched closer. He paused on the top step of the staircase, and, not realizing where he was, teetered, his arms pinwheeling to try and regain his balance.<br/>
Rage consumed me as I flung a bolt of clear blue light which enveloped his entire body, oddly illuminating his body. His mouth opened in a soundless scream of agony as he lifted off the step, and flew backwards through the air, his arms flailing. He hit the gray wall with sickening force, then slid limply to the ground where he lay unmoving.<br/>
I stood, panting, as my anger abated, looking down at the prone body, waiting for him to move or call out. But all was quiet. I slowly walked down the stairs to stand beside him. His eyes were open, staring sightlessly ahead. Blood dripped from his ears onto the floor. I had killed him. My father was actually dead. I didn't feel grief. No, I felt liberated. I stepped past his body knowing I was finally free.<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
I needed Laurem. I didn't care if anyone saw me walking in the servant’s quarters. I knocked softly on her door and heard a gentle, “Come in.” Laurem was nowhere in sight, but her mother was sitting up in bed with a happy smile.<br/>
“Surprise! I asked the medical units if I could return to my room. Come! Sit and talk with me Sheev. Laurem ran to get me something to eat. She should be back in a moment.”<br/>
I felt light and happy. As I smiled at Morda, I wondered if she would be perceptive enough to detect I had just murdered my father. Morda’s smile brightened, “You certainly look happy, Sheev.”<br/>
“I am,” I said simply, because it was true. I had a woman I loved completely, the acceptance of her mother, and, with the death of my father, a burden had been lifted off my shoulders.<br/>
“Oh,” she reached over and clutched my hand, “I’m so happy for you and Laurem. I hoped, well, I hoped you would pick up where you left off, and you did!”<br/>
“Why do you and Laurem believe in me” I paused, “when no one else does?”<br/>
“I’ve lived here long enough to be aware your relationship with your parents is not… I’m sorry. It isn’t my place to criticize them, but I’ve seen how they are with you. I’ve seen how they are with others. Then I see how you are with Laurem, and with me,” she said, then shrugged. “You’re are not your parents.”<br/>
We were quiet as I considered what she said. I knew I would mourn the loss of this woman far more than I ever would my own father. This kind, gentle woman soothed my soul and made me feel loved.<br/>
“Sheev, would you promise me something?”<br/>
“Yes, anything,” I responded, and I meant it.<br/>
“Sheev, I believe you’re an intuitive young man. I’m ready to die. It won’t be easy for Laurem. Would you promise to help her? Be there for her?”<br/>
“I promise.”<br/>
“And you can call me Mother, too, if you wish. We’re family. Or soon will be.”<br/>
I smiled, “I promise, Mother.”<br/>
“You’re a good boy, Sheev. Don’t you ever forget it.”<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
Two days later, Laurem’s mother passed away gently in her sleep. My heart was broken and Laurem was inconsolable. I did my best to comfort her, but with Mistress calling me away to help her prepare for Master’s funeral, I was already breaking my promise and not supporting Laurem as much as I would have liked. Her pregnancy, and the stress around her mother’s passing, was exhausting her, and when I could get away, I often found her sleeping.<br/>
Mistress was organizing a state funeral, full of overblown pomp and circumstance while Mother’s funeral was small and tasteful. The white workers chipped in for a pyre, which was an honor not all workers receive. It was evidence of Mother’s popularity amongst the other workers. Pacia continued to appear coldly indifferent to the workers, but cried unabashedly on Laurem’s shoulder in private, grieving the loss of her dear friend.<br/>
Mistress didn’t even bother to hide her delight with Master’s demise. She played the role of grieving widow to perfection, beautifully dressed in white, receiving condolences with grace, and accepting praise of his person and position with aplomb. She handled it so well, it is a wonder she hadn’t killed him herself.<br/>
I moved out of the receiving line, looking around for Laurem. Everyone had been called to work, and she said she welcomed the distraction from her own grief. I found her replenishing a table of refreshments. Her face was flushed, and despite the weight of her sorrow, she still had that soft glow. She glanced up to see me watching her, the frown disappearing from her face.<br/>
I couldn’t stand watching Mistress for another second. She was no more upset at Master’s passing than I was. And when she wasn’t playing the grieving widow, she was openly applying pressure for me to take Master’s senate seat.<br/>
I leaned on the wall in the hallway, facing away from the room, releasing a small sigh of relief, when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see Laurem behind me. “Are you hiding?”<br/>
“Yes. Can I hide in the kitchen with you? Maybe in the pantry?”<br/>
She smiled, remembering our time together on Naboo. She hadn’t been demonstrative since we arrived in Coruscant and I missed her touch. She consolingly rubbed my back, “How are you doing?”<br/>
She was offering me sympathy I did not deserve.<br/>
“I’m fine. How are you doing?”<br/>
She sighed, “I am doing okay.” But offered no more.<br/>
She stood up on tiptoe, after checking briefly no one was around and gave me an all too brief kiss on the lips. “See you later?”<br/>
I nodded. My brief break was over. Back into the fray and acting the part. I opened the door and walked back into the room and caught the narrowed gaze of Mistress.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
I walked into our room, no,  my room. I flopped down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. I needed to make some decisions. I hated being here in this room. It reminded me of Mother and all she endured here.<br/>
Sheev entered after a brief knock. I smiled at him, lifted my hand, and beckoned him to come to me. He clasped my outstretched hand and pulled me off the bed and into his arms. We held each other, swaying gently together, enjoying the closeness. He murmured into my hair, “Tomorrow is your season day.”<br/>
“I’d forgotten,” I whispered, so relaxed in his embrace I was almost asleep on my feet. The only thing I wasnted was time with Sheev. I looked up into his eyes, “Let’s run away.”<br/>
He gazed down on my upturned face, “What?”<br/>
“For my season day. Let’s run away. We don’t have to go far. We can go home. For the day. What do you say?” The more I thought about, it the more I realized it was exactly what I wanted. Exactly what I needed.<br/>
A slow, sexy smile spread across his face, “Yes.”<br/>
“Yes?” I asked, with an answering excited smile of my own.<br/>
“Yes!” he replied, picking me up and spinning me around. I threw my head back and laughed, as my spirits lifted. He slowed the spin and as my toes touched the floor, I reached up to bring his head down to mine for a kiss. He pulled back and touched his forehead to mine, “Let’s sneak out early. We’ll have to raid the kitchen in the morning,” he laughed softly. “I have to admit Laurem, this is your best idea yet.” He lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist. He carried me over to the bed and gently sat me down. “Tomorrow,” he promised, and with a swirl of robes, he left.<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
I snuck out of the kitchen weighted down with enough food for an imperial army, and ran right into Chan. I had only seen him a time or two, but we had never spoken. I nodded, but continued to walk by. I had nothing to say to him, so was surprised when he spoke to me.<br/>
“How’s she doing?” Chan asked.<br/>
“Excuse me?” I replied.<br/>
“How’s Laurem handling the loss of her mother?”<br/>
“Um. She has been working quite a bit. It keeps her busy so she doesn’t have time to think,” I replied, “I will tell her you asked about her.”<br/>
Chan made a sound of disbelief, “I doubt that.”<br/>
“And you would be right,” I agreed, ready to end this stilted conversation.<br/>
“You must be working a lot, too,” Chan said.<br/>
“I have been, yes.”<br/>
“Does it keep you from thinking about how much you miss your father?”<br/>
“No. Not really,” I replied and after a brief pause, continued. “Because I don’t miss my father,” I stated flatly, and with a wave, continued down the hall to get Laurem.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
I had to admit, this time with the speeder bike was way more fun, since I knew what to expect. It was so early traffic was almost nonexistent. We were able to travel at higher speeds, and of course, Sheev was an amazing driver. Seriously, the man was great at everything!<br/>
There was an air of intensity around Sheev this morning. He was quiet, almost subdued. I worried he was regretting his decision to run away with me.<br/>
We dropped our bags and containers of food on the table. Sheev was still quiet as he moved around, prepping the systems. I tried to still his movements by hugging him from behind.  “Are you sorry you’re here?” I asked, my voice loud in the stillness.<br/>
Sheev turned on the light, ventilation and filtration systems, and the house began humming with life. He turned around and looked at me in surprise, “No. Not at all. Are you?”<br/>
“No. But you’re being so quiet. Something is bothering you.”<br/>
“I’m sorry,” he said, rubbing his hands through his hair, “I was just thinking.”<br/>
“What about?”<br/>
He laughed a little, “Nothing. It was nothing.” He walked to me and pulled me into his arms.<br/>
“Are you worried?”<br/>
“About what?"<br/>
“Your future. My future. Should I stay at the gray place? Should I search for work elsewhere? Are you going to take your father’s seat in the senate?” I asked, my voice pitching a little higher with every question.<br/>
Sheev clasped my upper arms, “Whoa. Hey. We don’t have to decide everything today. Why don’t we take it one day at a time?”<br/>
He pulled me back into his arms and I sank into his warmth, “ Today is for your season day. Let's save our worries for another day. We ran away for a reason.”<br/>
He gently cupped my chin and kissed me with his soft warm lips. “Mmm. I think we should do this more than just today. Let’s run away at every possible moment.” He pulled me closer to him and we lost ourselves in each other.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
I worked on the hated cannibs with a stupid grin on my face. I didn’t think it was possible, but I loved Sheev more with every passing minute. We had made plans  to sneak away again tomorrow afternoon. I giggled a little to myself. Katen glanced over wondering what I thought was so funny. She had given me this chore to punish me for sneaking out so much, but I didn’t care. If dealing with the stupid cannibs would give me more time with Sheev, then I would do it.<br/>
My haynkin slipped and I cut a big gash in my finger. “Ouch!” I said. I grabbed a towel to staunch the blood. The towel quickly turned red, soaked with my blood. “Katen, I need to go to the infirmary for healing.”<br/>
“Go! Go!” she said, then muttered, “You'll do anything to get out of here.”<br/>
I smiled and thought she was quite right. I ran into Chan on the way out of the kitchen.<br/>
“Whoa! What have you been doing in there? Is any one left alive?”<br/>
“Barely. I need to get to the infirmary.”<br/>
“I’ll go with you. You look a little pale.”<br/>
“Hey, I haven't seen you for a long time. Distract me from the pain. Tell me what you have been doing lately.” Chan took my elbow, and I nearly rolled my eyes because he was seriously over doing it. "Honestly, Chan, I'm okay."<br/>
He still didn't release my elbow, but responded, “I’ve been thinking of applying to the senate directly for pilot training. If I keep waiting for Mistress to send me, then I might be too old. Plus, I’m getting tired of working in the stables. I want to do something else. Something more worthwhile.” I nodded in agreement. Chan was intelligent and capable and could do anything he set his mind to.<br/>
“Chan, I think you could be anything you want to be.” The room tilted and I stumbled, “I don’t….” Black spots appeared in the edges of my vision and if I turned my head to watch them, my stomach rolled with nausea. A cold sweat trickled down my spine. I could hear Chan calling my name, but he sounded far away. I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out. The darkness overwhelmed me and I slumped to the floor.<br/>
Whoosh. Tick, tick, tick. Whoosh. Tick, tick, tick. I awoke to find I was lying on a bed in the infirmary. A droid with needle-like fingers, was somehow knitting the skin and tissue of my finger back together. The fingers were moving so quickly they were blurred and I could feel a faint tugging, but there was no pain.<br/>
Chan was by my side. “Hi. Welcome back. Feeling better?” he asked before adding, “You have color in your cheeks again.”<br/>
“Yes, I’m fine. Sleepy, but fine."<br/>
“Hey, I have to get back to the stables. Are you going to be OK?”<br/>
“Yes. Of course. Thank you for helping and staying with me.”<br/>
Chan squeezed my hand, then ordered the droid, “Contact me if she needs more help.”<br/>
“Affirmative,” responded the droid.<br/>
With a wave of his hand, he hurried out of the infirmary. The droid stated, “Laceration healed.” The ticking and whooshing stopped. I lifted my finger and other then a pink streak of new skin, it looked basically the same. I sat up and the room swam. I saw a little silver bowl off to the side and grabbed it just in time. When my stomach finally stopped heaving, I grabbed a towel and wiped my chin. The droid droned, “Gravida's female, fourteen weeks, presented with laceration, emesis post healing.”<br/>
Oh my, I thought, I had been so completely wrapped up with Sheev, I had forgotten I will be showing soon.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
I rested a while in the infirmary, making sure my stomach and head had settled enough to make my way to my room for a change of robes. Mine looked a little macabre to be preparing a meal in the kitchen.<br/>
“Hey!” Chan called as he trotted to meet me outside the infirmary.<br/>
“Hey Chan.”<br/>
“Are you OK? You are still awfully pale.”<br/>
“Umm. Yes, thank you. I am feeling better,” I responded with a yawn. “Just a little tired from the pain medication.”<br/>
“I’m walking with you. No buts!”<br/>
“I’m sorry I passed out on you. How did I get to the infirmary?”<br/>
“Would you think less of me if I called a droid for a gurney? It was a long way to the infirmary,” he added with a laugh, “Plus, I think you have put on some weight lately.”<br/>
“What?” I exclaimed looking down. Could he tell I was with child? Was I already starting to show? Then I realized he was joking. He could never keep a straight face and was laughing at my reaction. I swatted him on the arm, “Not funny! You should never joke about a person’s weight.”<br/>
We had made it back to my rooms in no time at all, chatting easily the entire way. I was so tired I hadn’t thought I would be able to make it back, but then here I was, home at last. I leaned on the doorjamb while I finished talking with Chan.<br/>
“Seriously, are you sure you are OK?”<br/>
“I’m sure. I’m exhausted though. I seriously want to sleep,” I replied, while I tried to stifle another yawn. I had better send a note to Katen. I was dead on my feet. She was going to have me working cannibs forever.<br/>
“I ran into your boyfriend,” Chan said, “He’s not a very nice guy.”<br/>
“He’s not my boyfriend.”.<br/>
Chan perked up, “He’s not?”<br/>
“No, he’s much more than that. He’s my life.”<br/>
Chan looked crestfallen, but I had to be honest. I loved Sheev with my entire being.<br/>
“Yes, well, I hope you feel better,” Chan waved as he walked away. Moving as if under water, I crawled under the covers.<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
I went to the kitchens and was informed Laurem had gone to the infirmary for healing. She had sliced her finger and had bled quite a bit. Worried, I rushed to the infirmary, only to be told she had been healed and released. She was supposed to rest and report for work the next day, but knowing Laurem, she wouldn’t skip work unless forced, so I needed to make sure she rested. I took the familiar path to her rooms, knowing the way so well I could almost make the trek blindfolded. I was almost there when I heard her voice, and realized she was talking with someone.<br/>
“I ran into your boyfriend,” Chan said, “He’s not a very nice guy.”<br/>
“He’s not my boyfriend,” Laurem responded.<br/>
Chan perked up, “He’s not?”<br/>
“No,”<br/>
I spun on my heel. She was only pretending to love me. What made me think she would be any different. My own parents couldn’t stand me. I walked, not knowing where I was going, but found myself in the green place. The place where I murdered my father. I should go back to her and demand, what? She’d lie. Of course, she would lie. Or worse, I could go back and find her in Chan’s arms.<br/>
How could I have been so wrong? I thought what we had was special. Different. I looked up at the sky and found it wavering. One tear spilled over and ran down my cheek. I brushed at my face and stared at the wetness on my finger. I don’t remember a single time in my life I had ever cried. I put my face in my hands and sobbed.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
I sat bolt upright. Sheev was in pain. Was it real or was it a dream? It felt real. Like he needed me. I couldn’t have been sleeping long. Why had he not come to me? I scooted off the bed. Something was wrong. I could sense it. I went to his rooms, but he wasn’t there. I began to run from room to room, a sense of foreboding threatening to overwhelm me. My heart was pounding, and my hand was throbbing from the healing. I finally went to the green place and found him sitting on a low rock with his head in his hands.<br/>
“Sheev, what is it? What’s wrong?” I gasped, crouching down on my knees and tugging on his arms to get him to look at me. He looked at me with the eyes of a tortured soul, and my heart broke. I put my hand on his cheek, but he shook it off.<br/>
“Don’t,” he spat.<br/>
“Why? What's wrong? Please, tell me!”<br/>
“Where's your boyfriend?”<br/>
“What?”<br/>
“Where's Chan?” He snapped.<br/>
“I don't know.”<br/>
“I overheard you talking with him,” he said, “I heard what you said about me, about us.”<br/>
“What I said,” I parroted, thinking back to our conversation. “What did I say other than the truth?”<br/>
“So, it’s true.” He stood up, grabbed my upper arms and pulled me up with him.<br/>
“Yep. I wanted Chan to understand we were never going to be anything more than friends. I would think you’d be happy I told him.”<br/>
He thrust me away and I stumbled back, “I knew you would lie to me. I heard you tell him I wasn’t your boyfriend.”<br/>
“How am I lying to you?” I asked, hands on my hips, anger growing from his accusation, “Yes, I said you weren’t my boyfriend, because you aren’t. You're much more! I couldn't tell him we were engaged, but I wanted him to know we were committed to one another. What is wrong with what I said?”<br/>
“What?” Sheev responded. His brows dipped down into a frown. “That isn’t what I heard.”<br/>
“Did you hear the entire conversation?” I went to him and grabbed both of his hands in mine, gripping them tightly. “Listen to me. I love you. I have always, and will always, love you. I would not do anything to hurt you. I will be here, by your side, for as long as you want me, which I’m hoping is for a long, long time. Understand?”<br/>
He pulled back, his hands shaking. He pushed a hand through his hair and shook his head. He looked at me intensely and a buzzing began in my head. I understood he reading my thoughts, so I let him. This time. But I couldn’t help but wonder what it meant, if he didn’t believe me?<br/>
“I thought you knew me. I would never play one man against another. He is my friend, yes, but you are my life.”<br/>
Sheev touched his forehead to mine, “I’m…sorry.” He began to laugh.<br/>
“What's so funny?” I smiled, but still angry.<br/>
“I'm trying to come up with a word for my behavior, but I couldn’t find one bad enough,” he chuckled, then said on a sigh, “You’re too good for me.”<br/>
“Not at all,” I said. “We're just right together.”<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
It had been several weeks since Laurem and I had our first fight. If you could call it that. I had jumped to conclusions and behaved like an idiot. She then proceeded to lecture me, which was completely adorable, but I got the message. I needed to trust her. I needed to trust her feelings for me if we were going to be together, and of course, she was right.<br/>
We made plans to return to Naboo because my mourning period was due to officially end tomorrow. I needed to make some serious decisions about the future. I wanted something more than serving on the Senate, but I could take the position until I could arrange for something better. No matter what I chose for a profession, I knew I wanted Laurem by my side.<br/>
Our shuttle was due to return to Naboo tomorrow morning, and to everyone else, Laurem was returning with me to serve in the kitchen.  I had made arrangements to change all of that. As a surprise to Laurem, I had arranged for us to be married in a small private ceremony, and afterwards, we would briefly honeymoon in the Palpatine cottage. I had purchased a beautiful red robe for her to wear for the ceremony. My vision of us together, and becoming a family, was about to come true.<br/>
A slight buzzing from my receiver interrupted my thoughts.  I had begun to carry one for my senate apprenticeship, and it registered my first incoming message. I wasn’t expecting any communications from anyone, especially since the entire senate knew my family was in a period of mourning. I accepted the communique, and to my surprise it was from Senator Maltair, Enna’s father.<br/>
“I am sorry to bother you, Sheev, at this time of mourning, but I need your help. Please accept my condolences for the loss of your father,” Senator Maltair paused, then continued, “He was a good man.”<br/>
I appreciated what it must have taken for Senator to say those words, so politely responded, “Thank you. What can I do for you Senator?”<br/>
“It's Enna. She's been responding well to treatments and has many days of lucidity, but today… well, she keeps saying your name.”<br/>
“My name?” I echoed.<br/>
“Yes, and she has become quite agitated. We were wondering if you would come see her. Talk to her. Help us figure why she keeps repeating your name.”<br/>
I hesitated. I didn’t want to go. I didn’t want to see Enna. I didn’t want to help her. I didn’t care why she was saying my name.<br/>
“Please, Sheev,” Senator Maltair pleaded, “We don’t know what else to do.”<br/>
“Okay, I will come, but I…”<br/>
I didn’t even have a chance to respond before the Senator quickly interjected, “Thank you. I will send transportation for you. It should be there within the hour.”<br/>
He didn’t even wait for me to reply. He just hurriedly disconnected, probably before I could change my mind. I tucked the receiver into my pocket and went in search of Laurem.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
It was like old times, me working in the Palpatine kitchen, and Sheev coming to see me. I greeted him with a smile but he didn’t return it. He looked grim. I couldn’t wait to get him out of Coruscant, and back to Naboo, where we could be happy again.<br/>
“Hi.”<br/>
“Hello to you." I pressed my lips together to quell the urge to kiss him.<br/>
Sheev grabbed my elbow and pulled me away from the other workers, and lowered his voice, “I have to leave for a meeting. I should be back, hopefully soon. Maybe it would be best if you hid until I came back.”<br/>
“I have to help with the dinner prep, which shouldn’t take too much longer. I need to finish packing for tomorrow, so as soon as I finish here, I will go immediately to my room.”<br/>
“Good. Stay there and lock the door. I will look for you there when I return. I don’t think this will take very long.”<br/>
He nodded, and after a heated look which conveyed so much promise, he strode swiftly away. I watched him walk away until he was out of sight and sighed. Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough. I wouldn’t breathe easy until I was on the transport to Naboo.<br/>
I moved back to finalize the meal prep. Work always had a way of easing worries.</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
The Maltair household was close to the Jedi temple and Senate chambers.  It was taking too long to cover the relatively short distance. I couldn’t keep from bouncing my knee and chewing my thumbnail with frustration. The air traffic into the city was a snarled mess.<br/>
I jumped out of the transport before it had even completely stopped. A droid directed me to an antechamber, where I waited for the Senator to greet me before taking me to see Enna. I paced, anxious to get the visit over with. The Senator finally rushed in and apologized.<br/>
“Sheev,” he came in and shook my hand, “thank you for coming. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, but I…well you know how it is.” He swept his arm to the side, gesturing for me to walk with him.<br/>
“I haven’t been able to sit with Enna in the last hour or so, but I was informed her condition hasn’t changed. She continues to repeat your name. Do you have any idea why she might keep asking for you?”<br/>
Perhaps she is repeating my name because I am the one who blasted her brain to oblivion, I thought to myself. I shrugged, “I have no idea.”<br/>
“Well, I hope by seeing you, she will at least calm down,” Senator Maltair replied with a frown.<br/>
I heard him mutter something else under his breath. “Excuse me?” I asked, but the Senator shook his head.<br/>
The Senator directed me to a door with a biometric lock, "We can't allow her to leave her quarters yet."<br/>
The room had a stringent, medicinal smell like an infirmary. Enna was sitting on a low couch, clutching her arms tightly around her body. She was rocking slightly and muttering quietly to herself. Other than those unusual actions, she was as well-dressed and superficially beautiful as ever.<br/>
Senator Maltair lightly gripped my elbow and guided me closer to Enna. Her actions did not change and she didn’t seem to notice anyone had entered the room.<br/>
“Enna,” said the senator loudly, “Sheev is here to see you.”<br/>
Her head violently jerked up to her father, and her gaze slowly drifted to me. She peered back at her father as if to question him, but I responded first.<br/>
“Hi Enna. It’s me. Sheev.” I spoke more softly than her father. Enna wasn't hard of hearing.<br/>
Her head swiveled back to me; her eyes narrowed. She mashed her lips together and did not speak.<br/>
The senator gestured for me to sit beside Enna, which I did, carefully, prepared for any mental assault, but there was none.<br/>
The Senator’s receiver registered an incoming message, “I’m sorry, Sheev. I have to take this.”<br/>
I nodded my acquiescence, then scanned the room for cameras, and although I didn’t see any, it didn’t mean they weren’t present. I shifted and addressed Enna, who's unfocused gaze was in my general direction. I wasn’t sure where to begin.<br/>
“Enna, do you remember me?”<br/>
“Sheev?”<br/>
“Yes. Do you remember when we were at school?”<br/>
“Sheev?”<br/>
“Yes,” I pushed my hair back from my forehead, losing patience.<br/>
“Sheev?”<br/>
“Okay, this is a waste of time,” I said, not caring what Enna heard or understood. My patience was spent. I needed to get out of here and back to Laurem. I jumped to my feet, ready to make my apologies to the Senator. Enna’s hand shot out and grabbed my arm, squeezing tightly.<br/>
“Sheev? Sheev?” she repeated again, her voice rising. I jerked my arm, trying to loosen her grasp without hurting her, but her grip was tight. She met my eyes for the first time. She said again, without agitation, on more of a relieved sigh, “Sheev?”<br/>
“Yes! It’s me!” I said sharply. How many times do I have to say it?<br/>
She leaned towards me and whispered conspiratorially, “You can't trust him. You can't trust her. You can’t trust anyone. She knows your weakness. You can’t stop her. You are lost forever to the dark.”<br/>
“What are you talking about?”<br/>
Enna hissed, “You know of what I speak.”<br/>
“No. I really don’t.”<br/>
“Listen. She knows. She. Knows,” Enna whispered, “Protect her. Save her. Save the baby.”<br/>
I reared back as if struck. How had Enna known? Had she overheard something? Or was she using her abilities?<br/>
“You must leave! Before it is too late. Save her. Save the baby,” she repeated, her voice rising again. She released the grip on my arm and pushed me. “Go! Go now!”<br/>
I nodded and ran from the room. I had to find Laurem.<br/>
</p><p>LAUREM<br/>
It was oddly quiet in the kitchen. I blew a piece of hair out of my eyes and looked around to find the kitchen was empty. It must be mealtime and I hadn’t noticed the time.<br/>
Two large men entered the kitchen, each bald and dressed oddly.<br/>
“Hello. Are you here for a meal? The workers normally eat in the refectory. I can show you where to go, since I am going there myself.” I rinsed my hands, ready to show the men to the dining hall.<br/>
“Laurem Kalcar? You will come with us.” It was stated calmly, as a request, but the men flanked me, grasping each elbow in a firm grip.<br/>
“Who are you? Where are you taking me?” I tried to pull my arms out of their grasp, but they just tightened their grip. My stomach started to burn. Mistress. She sent Sheev away.<br/>
They pulled me towards a conference room, where I was hastily shoved inside, and the door closed firmly behind me. I turned around and tried to open the door, but it wouldn’t budge. I smacked the closed door in frustration.<br/>
I heard a grunt behind me and wheeled around to discover yet another large bald man was standing by the conference table. He was oddly dressed in the same mixture of bizarre animal skins and natural fiber clothing, except this man was covered with tattoos. When he smiled at me, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. Run, I thought, but there was no way out.<br/>
The man’s massive hands gripped a strange looking dark club. Several large glowing metal rings were hanging from his belt, so when he approached me, and took my elbow, the rings jingled, making an oddly merry noise. His grip was firm, but he knew, and I knew, my presence here was not my choice, so I followed him as he directed me to a chair. He politely pulled it out for me, so I sat and waited for whatever fate Mistress had planned for me.<br/>
My strange escort moved to the door, folding his massive arms and watching me with an odd expression on his face. A short time passed, when another large man, who looked like a clone of the man already in the room, including tattoos, entered with a recalcitrant Chan pushed ahead of him.<br/>
“Chan!” I exclaimed and surged to my feet. Chan moved as if he was going to sit next to me, but he was pushed to the other end of the table and forced into a chair. I looked at him with eyebrows raised, but he only frowned in return.<br/>
The men flanked the locked door, and I took a deep shaking breath to try and calm down.<br/>
"Chan, what is going on?"<br/>
The club crashed down onto the table beside me. The man shook his head.
A door, indiscernible from inside, slid silently to the side, and in strolled Mistress, accompanied by a richly dressed man, who was as round as he was tall. Every single fat finger was covered, if not in tattoo, then in rings of shiny crystals and precious metals.  A huge smile broke out onto his face, making his eyes all but disappear behind his fat cheeks, as he scrutinized the two of us sitting at the table. He rubbed his hands together with delight. He squealed in a high-pitched voice, “Oh, yes! These two will do nicely! Indeera, you’ve done it again!”<br/>
He turned and air kissed each of Mistress’s cheeks, “Heini, it's always a pleasure.”<br/>
“You,” he said, snapping his jeweled fingers to the men by the door, “take the boy. Yes, yes, you. Not you,” he forestalled both men, indicating one needed to stay behind. “Take the boy.”<br/>
Pulling two of the glowing metal rings from his belt, he approached Chan and wrenched him up and out of his seat. Chan struggled and fought, trying to pull his way out of the man’s grasp.<br/>
“What are you doing?” I asked, surging to my feet.<br/>
I gaped in horror as the man pulled the club out of his belt and touched it lightly to Chan’s chest. Immediately, the fight, and life, went out of Chan’s body. He stood motionless. Expressionless. The man reached down and put a ring around each of Chan’s wrists, squeezed them to fit, and then pushed a button on his belt.<br/>
“The rings do the same thing as the club. It makes them quite docile,” Heini nodded toward Mistress, who also nodded approvingly.<br/>
I watched in mute horror as Chan was easily led from the room. I turned to Mistress and Heini and found they were watching me. Mistress commented to Heini, “They never suspect.”<br/>
Heini giggled like a little girl.<br/>
“What are you doing with Chan?”<br/>
Mistress scoffed, “You'd better ask what we are going to do with you.”<br/>
She whispered to Heini and he disappeared through the door in the wall, but quickly returned with a shera and writing utensil, which he placed in front of me on the table.<br/>
“You need to say goodbye, dear,” Heini shrilled in false sympathy.<br/>
“Goodbye?” A frisson of cold dread crawled down my spine.<br/>
“You are going with Heini and his escorts, where you are going to keep house for a client of Heini’s.” Mistress informed me in a cold drawl.<br/>
“Why would I do that?”<br/>
“Oh, did I forget to mention you're going as a slave? I just sold you.”<br/>
“No! You can’t!”<br/>
Mistress tapped her lips a few times before she gave a little laugh. “Yes, I can. You know, I’ve been watching you. You naughty girl, leading Sheev astray. I cannot have you take him from me. He has a brilliant future ahead of him. The members of the Senate are practically salivating. They want Sheev to join so badly. He'll be confirmed in minutes.” Mistress walked around the table towards me and slid the shera to me. “You need to let him go.”<br/>
“What am I supposed to do with this?” I pushed the shera away.<br/>
“I had a feeling you'd be difficult. I knew you were incapable of following the simplest directions,” Mistress sneered. “I'll dictate. You write. Sheev, please forgive me, but I cannot stay here a minute longer. I realized I don’t love you. Chan and I have left. Don’t try to find me. Laurem.”<br/>
I stared at her, not moving to pick up the writing utensil. She was out of her mind if she thought I was going to go along with any of this.<br/>
“Why are you not writing?” Mistress hissed. She stalked over to me and before I could react, slapped me full upon the face, whipping my head to the side. My eyes watered as my cheek caught fire. I touched my tongue to the corner of my mouth and tasted blood. My eyes narrowed in a look of undisguised hatred.<br/>
“Ouch! If looks could kill,” Heini crooned, as Mistress drew back and slapped the other side of my face, her eyes sparkling with triumph.<br/>
Heini cleared his throat, “Indeera, please don’t break the merchandise.”<br/>
Mistress smiled, “Oh, don’t worry Heini, you are getting two for the price of one.”<br/>
I gasped in horror at this exchange. I gritted my teeth and refused to touch my cheeks even though they were throbbing painfully. I spat out, “What makes you think I will go along with any of this?”<br/>
“You will do everything I say, if you want to protect the child you're carrying. If you don't cooperate, then I'll send you to the infirmary and cut that thing right out of you. You'll go with Heini either way. BUT you'll bring a bigger payout for Heini if you are pregnant. Pregnant slaves bring a very fetching price. Two for one, you know. The child will keep you quiet. As long as you stay away from Sheev, then I'll allow the child to live. The moment you get in contact with Sheev, the child dies. Do we understand each other?”<br/>
I nodded. I couldn’t speak if I wanted to. I understood Mistress was capable of evil, but this was beyond anything I could have comprehended. Mistress slid the shera closer to me. “Write.”<br/>
My eyes filled. I couldn’t imagine how this was going to be presented to Sheev, but I knew he would never believe it. Would he? I hoped he wouldn’t believe it. He knew me. He knew I loved him. “Please.” My voice cracked, “Please, don’t make me hurt him.”<br/>
Mistress looked at Heini, “It breaks your heart, doesn’t it?” She shook her head, “I know my son. He isn’t worth all of this fuss.”<br/>
“I honestly don’t understand how such a wonderful person could have such a bitch of a mother.”<br/>
Heini high-pitched giggle was quelled by Mistress's sharp glare. He quietened, but was unsuccessful at concealing his smile. Mistress turned back to me, held out the utensil, “Write.”<br/>
I took it from Mistress and looked down at the shera. If there was only something, I could write to get a secret message to him in the note. But then, what if she saw it. Would she send me to the infirmary? I took a deep breath, wiped the tears from my face and wrote:<br/>
</p><p>Sheev,<br/>
Please forgive me. I cannot stay here any longer. Don’t try to find me.<br/>
Laurem</p><p>Mistress picked it up and read it. “Hmmmm. Not good enough. Tell him you have run off with Chan. We need to make this final.” She made me add Chan and I left. I guess in a way, it was true. We had left, only not willingly and not together, but he wouldn’t know that.<br/>
“Perfect. You may go now,” She waved her hand dismissively.<br/>
Heini asked, “Do we need the rings, Laurem?” I shook my head; my life had already been drained out of me. I looked back at Mistress, “He’ll find me.”<br/>
“Oh, I almost forgot, Heini, we have to change her name!” She addressed me, “What was the name of that filthy cloth thing you were carrying when you came here.”<br/>
“Shmi.”<br/>
“Yes, Shmi! It suits you perfectly. Now we need a last name. Let’s change it from Kalcar to…” Mistress looked around the empty conference room as if it would give her inspiration, when Heini opted to speak up.<br/>
“Shelins? No, not Shelins. How about reversing her last name to Carkal?” He warily shook his head at Mistress’s thunderous expression. “No? Okay, how about Skywalker? It's a perfectly ordinary name. Shmi Skywalker.”<br/>
“Perfect,” Mistress cooed.<br/>
“Consider it done. It's been a pleasure as always,” Heini replied, then gestured ahead of him, “Shmi Skywalker, shall we go?” He giggled as I walked behind the tattooed man; Heini close at my heels. I could only hope Sheev would arrive in time to stop them.</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
I arrived home as quickly as I could. I rushed to Laurem's room but it was completely empty. Her belongings were already gone. I stopped by the kitchen but found it dark and empty. I began to panic. They were never empty at this time of day.<br/>
I tore through the gray place like a man obsessed, checking every floor and spot where we had played as children. My chest was bursting, I was gasping for air. I finally ran to my rooms, but doubted she would be there. She hadn’t been to my rooms since we returned to the gray place.<br/>
There, on the cushion Laurem usually sat on, sat a shera. I read the note and knew in my heart Laurem did not leave willingly. I had been warned by Enna and she was right. Mistress had gotten to Laurem.<br/>
I spun on my heel to hunt down Mistress, stuffing the shera into the pocket of my robes as I went. I was striding down the hall when I saw Pacia coming towards me. She put a hand to my arm to halt my progress. “Come with me. Quickly,” she hissed.<br/>
“I’m in a hurry Pacia, another time.”<br/>
“Now,” she demanded.<br/>
I followed her into her office. She hurried around her desk, opened a drawer and to my surprise, dropped a holomonitor in my hand. “It was all I could get. Everything else was destroyed. Be careful where you view it. Now go. Find her.”<br/>
I took the holomonitor back to my room, to watch in private. I looked over at the cushions, which had always been our favorite spot. I failed her. I always knew deep down, something would happen, and I wouldn’t be able to protect her.<br/>
Knowing time was of the essence, I placed the holomonitor in my palm and triggered the video. A grainy picture came up with no sound. The view was only of a portion of the room. Laurem was sitting at a table and crying. Mistress was looking over her shoulder.  There was clearly another person in the room, but they weren’t visible on the monitor. Mistress was speaking to the person, then Mistress struck Laurem twice. They spoke some more, then a crying Laurem wrote on the shera, now in the pocket of my robes. Just as I knew in my heart, Laurem did not go willingly.<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
I found Mistress sitting all alone in the ‘throne’ room. She started when she saw me, then sat back and relaxed. “How’s Senator Maltair’s daughter?”<br/>
“Where’s Laurem?”<br/>
I walked purposefully up to the dais, irritated when I realized I was looking up at Mistress. She preferred this room, not for its comfort, but because it placed her in the position of power. I stepped up onto the dais. I towered over her now. She had to look up to me. I was through answering to her. I was through watching what I said and what I did. She no longer had control over me. Not today. Not ever again.<br/>
“I asked a question, Mother. Where is Laurem?”<br/>
“I'm sure I don’t know what you are talking about.”<br/>
I gripped her arm and pulled her roughly out of her chair, “You're coming with me. I want to show you something.”<br/>
I pulled her behind me as she stumbled and tried to keep up. My grip on her arm could not be broken. I could feel the humming of my power flowing through my body and through my arm. She was already getting a small taste of what was to come.<br/>
“I think you do know what I'm talking about, Mother.” I pulled the holomonitor out of my robe pocket and presented it in my palm.<br/>
“Where did you get that?”<br/>
I tugged on her arm and picked up the pace. “I have spies of my own, Mother. Enna warned me. She warned me about you.”<br/>
Mistress couldn’t hide her shocked expression.<br/>
“Surprised? I knew I shouldn’t have left. You were just lying in wait for us to separate, weren’t you?”<br/>
We turned the corner and the stairwell of the green place came into view. I smiled. “Ah, memories.”<br/>
I pushed Mistress ahead of me up the stairs to the jungle level. I walked around her, putting her between me and the stairwell.<br/>
I started the short display on the holomonitor, “See? Your droid failed to destroy all of the evidence. Now, where is Laurem?”<br/>
The hold on my temper was slipping. I could feel the familiar swelling. Small streaks of blue light, the light Laurem thought was so beautiful, jettisoned and danced around my clenched fists.<br/>
“I truthfully have no idea,” She began, but I interrupted her.<br/>
“You will contact who has her and you will tell them to bring her back.”<br/>
Mistress pulled her shoulders back and shook her head, “It's too late. We're finished here.”<br/>
“Do you know why I wanted to bring you here?” Mistress slowed shook her head. “I wanted to bring you here to tell you about Master.”<br/>
“What about him?”<br/>
I extended my arms and allowed my hate and anger to swell. I slowly lifted off the ground, a breeze ruffled my hair and my robes.<br/>
“Well, well. See what my little boy can do. I never suspected,” she crooned.<br/>
I slowly lowered to the ground, and took a step towards her, satisfied, when she took a step back. A step towards the stairs.<br/>
“Master caught me. He was going to run and tell you all about my abilities. I couldn’t have that, could I?”<br/>
“Why ever not? We could rule the senate!”<br/>
“Because I know you Mother. I knew exactly how you would react. Father only needed a little push to see it my way,” I chuckled at my own joke.<br/>
"It was you? Did you kill him?"<br/>
"I did. But you didn't really care, did you? And you know what? I didn't care either. It was almost...," I took a deep breath as I contemplated the right word, "liberating. I was free."
“And even now,” I continued, “Even now. To this very day, I feel the exact same way. It was a relief when I killed him.” I took another step closer to Mistress and noticed the quick flash of fear in her eyes before she was able to school her expression. To think Mistress was afraid of me was immensely satisfying.<br/>
I raised my arm and slowly closed the fingers of one hand into a clenched fist. Mistress clasped both of her hands around her neck as if choking. I smiled. The fear of pain and death can be a powerful motivator. I threw my hand forcefully to the ground and she crumpled at my feet.<br/>
“Now, where is Laurem?”<br/>
Her eyes were bulging; her lips tinging blue. The power flowing through me was unchecked and magnificent. I released my hold on her, fractionally, “Do you have something you wish to tell me?”<br/>
“All of this time, you had this power,” she gasped, “You little bastard. I could have accomplished so much!”<br/>
“No, Mistress. I knew you would try to turn me into your little secret soldier and I couldn’t have that. Tell me this,” I paused, “Are you willing to save yourself and tell me where Laurem is?”<br/>
I watched as Mistress struggled to disentangle her heavy robes. I couldn't afford to waste any more time, so I raised her up and brought her to me so that I stood, and she hovered directly in front of me. She struggled briefly; her expression furious.<br/>
“Last chance. Tell me where Laurem is, or die,” I added, “And when I find her, and I will find her, I will give her everything. Everything! She and I will marry, and we will rule together.”<br/>
Mistress laughed in my face. “You're truly besotted with that piece of trash. Well, I’m sorry you won’t be able to see your little fantasy play out. You, ruling with a servant! Sheev, you've always been a fool! Do you think the senate members would have accepted her? Do you think they wouldn’t care she'd been a servant in our household? She probably served meals to most of them! By removing her, I saved your career!<br/>
Mistress shook her head, “Instead of threatening me, you should be thanking me. They wouldn't keep her. What good is she to anyone? She's gone. Her body will be disposed of and nothing will trace back to me.”<br/>
“Call them. Stop them! Now!”<br/>
“No,” she smirked.<br/>
“Then you will die.”<br/>
I thrust the full force of the blue light directly into her heart. I wanted her to feel my hate. I wanted her to feel my pain.<br/>
Her body arched, and she suspended, hovering in the air, wrapped in the blue glow that spread from her heart to encircle her entire body. She gasped and her mouth stretched into an eerie blue smile, each tooth illuminated, “It’s amazing!”<br/>
“Goodbye Mother.”<br/>
I watched with satisfaction as her body started to steam. I tossed her down the same stairwell as I had father. Her head lolled loosely on her neck, as if no longer attached to her body. Her eyes open in a glassy stare.<br/>
</p><p>SHMI<br/>
A resounding crash had me racing to investigate the noise and discover what had fallen, only to find Anakin innocently standing amongst a spilled box of droid parts. He raced towards me, lifting his arms in a silent demand to be picked up. I lifted his warm body, hugging it to me as he wrapped his small arms and legs around me, to hold me tight. It was best to hug quickly and absorb as much love as possible, because he would soon be wiggling out of my arms, ready to move on to his next adventure. I sat him down on the ground, and he grabbed my hand, pulling me outside of our small hut.<br/>
Golden sand dunes stretched far into the distance, where they met the bright blue sky and disappeared. I squinted at the brightness of the blue; the same color of Anakin, and his father’s eyes.<br/>
The light from the setting suns caught on the waves of the sand and the planet became a glowing, barren beauty.<br/>
Anakin, my beautiful boy, held my hand and filled my heart.<br/>
</p><p>SHEEV<br/>
It was rumored, Mistress, grieving over the loss of her husband, had thrown herself down the same staircase and met the same demise. Mistress’s colleagues saw my grief and mistakenly assumed it was for my parents. Touched by what appeared as obvious affection for my mother, a person they thought without soul; awarded her senate seat to me. I took the seat without argument. I knew I could rule much more effectively than either of my parents ever could.<br/>
I gave up hope of ever finding Laurem. I knew without a doubt, if she was alive, then she would have done everything she could to return to me. Without Laurem, I had no buffer, no light, to draw me away from my darkness. I was growing quite comfortable with my darkness. I drew more strength from it than I had ever thought possible and I fully intended to use it. I entered the senate chamber. The ceremony for my induction had begun. It was time I accepted my rightful place.<br/>
</p><p>THE END</p>
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